BDSM, black metal and opera.
There. If that doesn’t get your attention, nothing will.
Yes, US/European Avant-garde act Folterkammer are back to crack the whip with second full length studio album Weibermacht (Century Media Records). With a band name that means “Torture Chamber”, an album title that translates roughly into “Women/Bitch Power”, and fronted by a classically trained dramatic coloratura soprano who spends her spare time training with an actual dominatrix to get into character, this really isn’t your average run-of-the-mill operatic metal album.
While bands like Cradle of Filth and Therion have incorporated vocal operatics for decades, none of them have had a singer like Andromeda Anarchia at their disposal. Part Nina Hagen, part Joan Sutherland, part Diamanda Galás, Anarchia’s four octave range really is something to behold as she hits notes with precision and perfect clarity, and conjures tortured, inhuman shrieks like an enraged banshee.
Formed in New York in 2018, Folterkammer finds Imperial Triumphant frontman Zachary Ezrin removing his shiny golden mask to deliver scything black metal riffs alongside guitarist Darren Hanson, the line-up completed by French bassist Laurent David and drummer Brendan McGowan. Anarchia and Ezrin are no strangers, the frighteningly versatile Swiss singer having guested on the last three albums by Imperial Triumphant, the casual fusing of disparate genres virtually second nature to both of them at this point.
From taking on the role as a vicious dominatrix for debut album Die Lederpredigt, Anarchia plays a slightly less abusive mistress this time, the sexy punishment beginning with the sturdy ‘Anno Domina’. Opening with traditional mid-paced black metal rhythms and some astonishing operatic histrionics, faster, slashing riffs are joined by blastbeats, a harpsichord break courtesy of Imperial Triumphant’s Steve Blanco, and even a cracking whip to recreate that authentic S&M dungeon sound. Apparently.
The pulse pounding ‘Leck Mich’ (Lick Me) finds Anarchia adding fiery roars to her repertoire, her beautiful soaring tones (sung entirely in her native tongue) replaced by something far scarier. Based on the medieval cautionary tale of Phyllis and Aristotle, ‘Die Unterwerfung’ (The Submission) begins with clean picked strings and gentle tones but quickly becomes another breakneck riff frenzy reinforced by more hellish screams.
‘Kuess mir die Fuesse’ (Kiss My Feet) is another ferocious blast of chunky riffs and tremolo picking, the song building towards an excited foot worshipping climax of which Quentin Tarantino would undoubtedly approve. Another term for sadomasochism, ‘Algolagnia’ opens with a languid but ominous bassline from Lauren David, and finds Anarchia hitting some frankly terrifying sounds along the way.
‘Herrin der Schwerter’ (Mistress of Swords) is full on black metal fury with a bluesy guitar solo that somehow doesn’t sound out of place before ‘Das Peitschengedicht’ (The Whip Poem) brings the proceedings to a punishing and suitably welted climax. A playfully twisted version of The Velvet Underground classic ‘Venus In Furs’ brings up the rear, its lyrical content of boots made of leather, whips, servants and mistresses fitting in perfectly with the sex dungeon aesthetic.
Although the market for whips, chains, opera and black metal might be a little niche, the results on Weibermacht are stunning. From the darkest leather scented recesses to places that make Christian Grey‘s Red Room look pitifully mundane, it was at this point I made my excuses and left. Honest.
Buy the album here:
https://amzn.to/3VZIa3F
9 / 10
GARY ALCOCK