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| Sombre Romantic | 
 enlarge | Artist: Virgin Black
Label: The End Records
Category: Music
List Price: $15.98
Buy New: $9.09
You Save: $6.89 (43%)
New (31) Used (9) Collectible (1) from $9.09
Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 98941
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 23
UPC: 654436002321
EAN: 0654436002321
ASIN: B00005YP9I
Release Date: February 12, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: SEALED
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| Tracks:
| • | Opera de Romanci: I. Stare - Virgin Black, London, Rowan | | • | Opera de Romanci: II. Embrace | | • | Walk Without Limbs | | • | Of Your Beauty | | • | Drink the Midnight Hymn | | • | Museum of Iscariot: I. Stagnation / II. Death / III. Procession | | • | Lamenting Kiss | | • | Weep for Me | | • | I Sleep With the Emperor - Virgin Black, London, Rowan | | • | A Poets' Tears of Porcelain |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
2001 debut album by the Australian epic Gothic rock band from Adelaide. 10 tracks. The End Records. 2002.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
Never gets boring April 3, 2004
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
It's not often that you find a band that's willing to experiment with several different music styles on the same album. Virgin Black's Sombre Romantic features songs in black metal style ("Drink the Midnight Hymn"), darkwave ("Lamenting Kiss"), gothic ("Museum of Iscariot"), opera/symphonic (opening two songs), and some other goodies thrown in. Rowan's operatic vocals are fantastic; it's nice to find a band with a trained male vocalist instead of the screamy 80's metal voice or overused black/death screaming & growling, the latter of which is becoming used in all the wrong places by some bands. There is very little black metal screaming on this album, and when it does appear, it is used effectively. The songs, composed by Rowan and guitarist Samantha Escarbe, are constantly changing and never get boring. The lyrics show some religious themes, but do not try to force anything down people's throats. It is a lyrically superb product overall. The compositions are very solid, and although no two songs sound alike, there is little disparity in quality of musicianship. Highly recommended to fans of anything from Tristania to Burzum.
 A Pleasant Surprise September 12, 2004
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Someone else on here commented that this album "never gets boring," and I'll admit, that is true. I really am amazed that I haven't heard of this Australian band up until now, and it's a shame that their music seems to be ignored by most of the "goth" crowd, at least it seems that way to me. (Is it because some of the songs border on "metallic" influences? Ah well, perhaps this makes it a better kept secret.)
One of the best songs on this album would have to be "Walk Without Limbs," it's really quite a nice tune with occult underlyings, which for some reason appeals to me. The vocalist also seems to have a very good operatic voice with excellent range. Buy this cd!
The Dark Ages with amps December 4, 2006
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Virgin Black is the darkest band I've found whose music and lyrics address spiritual crisis without mocking it. While a lot of metal sounds like the heat of killing, this band sounds like an hour later, when we stop and look at the dead all around us. If you've heard Saviour Machine, Virgin Black moves slower and heavier in that direction.
"Opera de Romanci" opens with a cello and Gregorian chant promising darkness to come. "Embrace" makes good on it with a dose of slow metal and orchestration worthy of a film score. Virgin Black strikes a great balance, alternating between "funeral metal" and orchestration. "Walk Without Limbs" starts with a cool beat, like Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care of Business". Then it changes gears into an industrial-rock sound unusual for this band.
"Of Your Beauty" finally puts Rowan London's operatic voice in front. His voice and the exceptional lyrics pull the listener into a place where it's always 4 a.m., and Winter never quite yields to Spring. "Drink The Midnight Hymn" jumps out of the speakers with a dose of speed metal and shrieking akin to Mayhem. On this CD and the following "Elegant...and Dying", the songs change speeds and modes often. Samantha Escarbe plays guitar with restraint, valuing the songs over solos.
"Museum of Iscariot" is a three-part suite with a lot of variety, and less intensity than some of the tracks before and after. "Lamenting Kiss" has a semi-industrial beat and an opening chant that sounds like a train siren losing strength with distance. Then London's voice takes the lead again. "A Poet's Tears of Porcelain" is a powerful finale - Escarbe finally busts out some fierce guitar melodies. The metal cuts off abruptly, leaving a brief chanted melody to end the whole thing. The image I get from this album is of someone lying down on a stone altar in the dark, eyes open, and waiting.
amazing debut from this band from down under! February 19, 2002
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
wow i never thought they could make such wonderfully dark and poetic album in australia. this sounds like it could easily be at home in europe. anyway about the music...well its hard to categorise but the closest description would be gothic electronic metal with operatic and growled male vocals along with some female vocals....its like walking into an eerie carnival or circus from the victorian era england...the atmosphere is wonderfully dark and 'foggy'. the lyrics are brilliant. they also use a live orchestra and piano instead of the usual keyboards which makes them sound very authentic.
anyways this is a very good album which no fan of gothic,ambient or even dark and black metal should not miss
Gothic Metal at it's best! January 27, 2004
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Virgin Black is absolutely the darkest and most atmospheric band in the world. This is a brilliant album. I love it, it kicks butt and plenty other things. Sombre Romantic is an album for the fan of the deep somewhat artsy music. If you liked the Smashing Pumpkins and want to go a bit more goth, this is the album for you. It starts out with a symphonic two tracks, a combination of chants, percussion, violoin, cello, and some sweet guitar. I do suggest this album to those with some intelectual depth. Such as in the song "Museum of Iscariot," it graphically depicts the reality of sin and the way people treat religion. I love this album, yet it is an album that will turn most people off, primarily their dark and gothic approach, yet to those who love the darker stuff and the artsy it is a great buy. I love this cd, but to the general public you most likely wont be too thrilled, but if you have some intelectual depth and an open mind you will love it. So BUY IT NOW!!!!
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