Review from Disfactory Webzine

August 13, 2014
From: Disfactory Webzine
Published: August 1, 2014
*Google translation of Italian review

Every now and then from Australia comes out some reality Gothic Metal able to emerge from mediocrity, but in this case you have to say and point out how the Lycanthia are not exactly the newcomer, the first demo in fact dates back to 1997, while the onset through full-length came just two years later (enough already these few details to figure out what we're going to be faced today). But after Myriad now is the "silent" for years and years (interrupted only by an EP in 2006) until reaching the current Oligarchy , first as self-production (in 2012), then finally backed worthily from Hypnotic Dirge Records , the label certainly could not let him perish in brackish water too long, so, once again, the operation "look around" is back in all functional.

I Lycanthia Gothic Doom sound old-fashioned, clearly inspired by the first chapter Tristania (do not even need to mention it) we pack a disc from the romantic flavor and deep, matter that every fan of the genre will absolutely not be missed. The name Megan Tassaker among the many things to say little, but I'm also sure that someone will remember the Avrigus and all the good stuff they have produced in their career (purchase even more obliged if you know the monicker in question).

The demonstration of devotion to a genre more and more into disuse is contained in the first The Essential Components of Misery , the most beautiful song on the album according to my taste, tongued voice of belonging "divine," he abrasive, her ethereal and dramatic , to tie things are pompous keyboards and piano parts are able to reconfirm all in a seductive imagery and slow motion (not to mention the end of the piece, where a gentle "rocking" drag until the last second). With forgone it falls even more in the field Widow's Weeds (that's there, I could not resist, I've mentioned), the violins stand out and open roads in all their prickly beauty, the remainder of the paste on him with safety and the commitment not go lost (the "caw" masculine here offers his personal quote). 
's power Oligarchy is to demonstrate again that "hunger" typical of a band in the early stages, you immediately feel a certain roughness, the do not want to compromise in some way to make themselves more attractive. Everything is gorgeous and complacent, but underneath there is always a "negative cash flow" as authentic and the primary force, be gloomy, melancholy and damned, this is what most of all press them, and what you hear out several times along the duration of each song. To make it even darker the result we think a production "nebula" and arcane, able to emphasize first of the two voices, then, the union and the combination of these with the rest of the instruments (in particular I really like the sound of guitars, to hover there anyway that of a "confusing", this thing will be able to ward off allergic to imperfections).

Ablaze the Wheel Turns buy points thanks to its crescendo punctuated rhythm while Despondency in Crescendo before, and Time Feeds These Wounds then, think to reject the mood rhythms of liturgical / tragic and "devoid of any sense of time" (the latter is so much " painful "as superbly interpreted.) Hair of the Beast puts violins there, patients in various plots, and it does not take long to realize how much class to be equipped with these fluctuating insertions, From Ancestral Lands instead held for closing some of the best vocals of the disc (the " now i wonder, and i wander "remains stationary them to resonate in my head for a long time).

Oligarchy is not a good way to come back after all these years, is a great way to do this, some small break (or rather lost, but nothing highly disturbing) prevents me from just-for, very poco- to increase the rating of those levels that many times the music touches, but if they continue to work in this way, problems-in future- there will not be at all. Avercene discs like this in every case.

Reviewed by: Duke "Selfish" Fog
Rating: 70/100
 

Review from Deaf Sparrow Webzine

April 25, 2014
From: Deaf Sparrow Webzine
Published: April 24, 2014

Sometimes we kind of have this “thing” for Gothic metal, especially of the black variety, or perhaps with a touch of “the doom” for extra thickness.  When properly combined these things create  a tragic beast.  It’s the kind of thing denied by God as something which may exist, the kind of thing that gets you into trouble more often than not.  When you have such a thing in your possession, it can skew the way you view th...

Continue reading...
 

Review from Pitchline Webzine

March 31, 2014
From: Pitchline Zine
Published: March 31, 2014
*Google translation of Spanish review

Although the band was formed in 1996, what concerns us here is only the second full-length of this sextet from Sydney after posting earlier, in 1999, their first album, "Myriad", plus an ep called "Within the walls "he made ​​a bridge between the two. Lycanthia proposes What is a Gothic-Doom-Metal adhering strictly to employers that this style has created over the years. The group complies with ...

Continue reading...
 

Review from Volumes of Sin Webzine

March 8, 2014
From: Volumes of Sin Webzine
Published: March 7, 2014

Although they only have two full-length releases, one demo and an EP, Lycanthia have been around since 1996 and are among the last long-standing metal bands of their kind in Australia. The group are made up of six members; a bassist/vocalist, a violinist/vocalist, a keyboardist/vocalist, a drummer and two guitarists. During their time, Lycanthia have seen numerous additions and subtractions in their line-up, making it almost imp...

Continue reading...
 

Review from Pure Nothing Worship Magazine

February 24, 2014
From: Pure Nothing Worship Magazine; Issue 2
Published: April 2014

Since 1996, the Australian Lycanthia released a demo in ’96, debut album in ’99, an EP in ’06, and now, the second album in 2013. Showing an even better musicianship and a stronger approach since their last album “Myriad”, Lycanthia presents a fairly standard but still nice album of melodic doom / death metal , dominated by clean female vocals, somber riffs, and devastating violin melodies. Although not rev...

Continue reading...
 

Review from Forgotten Path Magazine; Issue 5

October 18, 2013
From: Forgotten Path Magazine; Issue 5
Published: November 2013

Canadian record label “Hypnotic Dirge Records” keeps on sending us their production and trying to fit the frames of “Forgotten Path”. With a quick look over all their releases they pay most attention to second-rate BM projects and much more interesting Doom Metal genre bands, in my opinion. Although the majority of them lack creativity or some other traits to make momentary impressions of admiration, like durin...

Continue reading...
 

Review from Metal as Fuck Webzine

September 19, 2013
From: Metal as Fuck Webzine
Published: September 18, 2013

Doom metal has always been an interesting sub-genre in that once you move away from the more traditional offshoots of the genre and start looking at the less accessible variants of the sound, (such as death doom or funeral doom) you start to find only a few quality acts spread out through the underground all over the world. That's because there's never really been a centralized scene for that kind of metal, there's no Gothen...

Continue reading...
 

Review from Metalwave Webzine

August 30, 2013
From: Metalwave.it
Published: August 30, 2013
*Google translation of Italian review

The Australians Lycanthia from Sydney arrive at their second album Gothic Doom metal composition after a hiatus that lasted 14 years, and released by Hypnotic Dirge Records. 
7 tracks The most interlude of Lycanthia show us a Gothic Doom Metal often shady, disinclined to be over the top, not particularly dynamic (rarely the trend or the feeling of a song vary noticeably), and also very smooth and quit...

Continue reading...
 

Review from Metal Roos Webzine

August 13, 2013
From: Metal Roos Webzine
Published: August 7, 2013

Formed in Sydney in the late 90s, Lycanthia are a Gothic/Doom band and one of the jewels in the crown of a metal style that has been lacking of recent years to produce genuine heavy albums. But with the release of Oligarchy, this six piece featuring members Lee Tassaker (vocals/bass), Giovanni Gariano and Stephen Mikulic (guitars), Vanessa Black (vocals/violins), Megan Robins (keyboards/vocals) and Andrew Craig on drums, they have ...

Continue reading...
 

Review from Pest Webzine

July 31, 2013
From: Pest Webzine
Published: May 2013 (Posted late)

We're already used with Hypnotic Dirge offering us quality stuff, isn't it? Well Lycanthia isn't any exception from the rule, but they are walking different paths than previously shown by HDR. Although still melancholic like the rest Lycanthia's music is a combination of Gothic, Doom and Death Metal with beauty and the best type of vocals, keyboards and violin all over the place. These guys are around since 1996 and it seems they...

Continue reading...
 

  LYCANTHIA - OLIGARCHY

Released: April 7, 2013
500 Copies
Gothic Death-Doom Metal