ChthoniC - Mirror of Retribution

January 8, 2010

Reviewer: Kesh

If you took the political rhetoric of a band like Rage Against the Machine and made it sound like Cradle of Filth, what would you get? There’s a good chance that you would get something that sounded like Taiwan-based Chthonic. These five from the other side of the Pacific are Taiwanese and proud, and proclaim their nationalism in many of their lyrics on their 2009 offering, Mirror of Retribution.

Unfortunately, if you’ve heard Cradle of Filth, you’ve heard Chthonic - at least musically. This is a mixed blessing for them.  While lyrically they are a breath of fresh air, their one main draw back is that they have a tendency to sound so much like Cradle of Filth that it might be considered a hindrance to the music by some. But they are so different from the horde from Ipswich at the same time - a mix of both the familiar and unfamiliar that adds to their likeability. Chthonic has been gaining more and more popularity since they formed in 1995, a fact that can possibly be attributed to their uncannily similar sound to the above-mentioned English gothic-black metalers, but if there is a connection between the two, it is not readily apparent.

Once you get past the similarity in sounds, you’ll find that the album is different in many ways. One of the predominant things that makes Chthonic different is the use of an er-hu (or hena as it called in their native Taiwan), or a traditional Chinese/Thai folk instrument that some might mistake for female vocals. At times it sounds like a violin (one of it’s name in the West is the two-string violin), at other times, it sounds almost unearthly and ethereal. No matter what you think it sounds like, it definitely sets these guys apart from Dani F. and the boys (and girls).

Overall, Chthonic is a good listen, and Mirror of Retribution is definitely a very catchy album. It meshes well musically, and the inclusion of the Taiwanese folklore and instrumentation defiantly adds to their appeal. But I also do have at times trouble remembering if I am listening to Cradle of Filth. I don’t blame vocalist Freddy Lim for this though, he can’t help that his vocals sound almost identical to Dani Filth’s, but Freddie definitely has more heart in what he’s singing about, which sells the album more to me than the most recent album from Cradle. What confuses me the most with this is whether the uncanny similarity between the two bands in coincidental or if it is intentional.

Release Date: August 18th, 2009
Label: Spinefarm Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Autoscopy (Intro)
2.  Blooming Blades
3.  Hearts Condemmed
4.  Venom In My veins
5.  The Aroused
6.  Sing-Ling Temple
7.  1947
8.  Forty-Nine Theurgy Chains
9.  Rise Of The Shadows
10.  Bloody Waves Of Sorrow
11.  Spell Of Setting Sun:
       Mirror Of Retribution

Total playing time: 44:13

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