Carach Angren was formed in 2003, in the Dutch municipality of Landgraaf, after two members of Vaultage, Lee Hartney and Inger Indolia, started a side project based on their shared love of legends and black metal. Eventually, Carach Angren was more successful, so both stepped down from Vaultage.
In 2004, Carach Angren released their first EP, The Chase Vault Tragedy. The EP is a concept album, telling the story of mysteriously moving coffins known as the Chase Vault Mystery. In 2005, the band released a second EP, Ethereal Veiled Existence, covering the story of the Brown Lady. In 2007, Carach Angren was signed to Maddening Media, a German independent record label. Carach Angren recorded their first full-length album for this label, Lammendam, which received positive international reviews following its release in 2008.[2][3][4]
Their second album, Death Came Through a Phantom Ship, was released on 26 February 2010. To support the album, Carach Angren toured Europe under "A Declaration of Hate" tour, with extreme metal bands Dark Funeral, Zonaria and Nefarium.
On 18 May 2012, the band released their third studio album, Where the Corpses Sink Forever. This concept album covers themes surrounding war, including war, death, and suffering.
On 17 February 2015, the band's fourth album, This Is No Fairytale was available for streaming on Metal Hammer.[5] The album was officially released on 23 February 2015. The album is a modern interpretation of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale with themes of domestic abuse, drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual child abuse, suicide, child abduction and cannibalism.
On 16 June 2017, their fifth studio album, Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten, was released. This album diverges from the previous "storytelling" theme of the previous albums, but remains a concept album, with ghost themes, including the Blood Queen and Charles Francis Coghlan.[6]
On 10 February 2020, drummer Ivo "Namtar" Wijers left the band. According to him, the departure was motivated by "dissatisfaction with the music industry". Seregor and Ardek posted the announcement on the band's official website, revealing that the exit was a friendly one, saying, "Although we are very sorry for your departure, we respect your decision".
In late 2019 the band announced they had begun work on a sixth studio album, scheduled to be released in mid-2020. Its name and release date were unveiled on 20 February 2020; Franckensteina Strataemontanus. The album is a concept album inspired by the life of Johann Conrad Dippel, and was released through Season of Mist on 26 June.
Blood Queen
Carach Angren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her age has come, the crown affixed
Her only wish is to conceive
Whilst burning those that shun belief
Countless years of bloodthirst
And hundreds sacrificed
All hanged, quartered, cauterized
Endless years of madness
Death-fatigue, the cruel intrigue
Is the despair and the sadness
Of a royal womb still fruitless
Blood Queen
Blood Queen
Like a beggar 'fore the altar
It seems the Lord has eased her plight
Yet miscarriage still comes swiftly
Like a thief in 'midst of night
Ascending her stairs backwards
Clutching a mirror and candle
"Show me my future and show me what's mine"
And the mirror shows her a new-born child
She reaches for the infant, so sweet
But the mirror cracks and its eyes start to bleed
A thick mist descends
Suddenly down the stairs
She drops the ghastly mirror
Screaming in despair
Blood Queen
A shape appears in the mist
And throws her to the floor
The child, now floating in the air
She screams, "No more"
The eyeless child then reaches out
She grabs its little arm
But a surge of mist pulls her back
The sudden force breaks the infant's neck
Blood Queen
Blood Queen
Blood Queen, she comes through the mirrors
Blood Queen, she comes through the mirrors
Blood Queen, she comes through the mirrors
Blood Queen
The lyrics to Carach Angren's song "Blood Queen" tell a dark and chilling tale steeped in themes of obsession, despair, and supernatural horror. The opening lines set the scene in 1536, introducing a queen who is desperate to conceive a child. Despite her burning desire for a heir, she is also shown to be ruthless in her dealings with those who do not share her beliefs, as indicated by the mention of burning those who shun belief. The imagery of sacrifice and bloodshed further builds a sense of the Queen's insatiable thirst for power and dominion, tying her violent acts to her unfulfilled yearning for motherhood.
The narrative then delves into the Queen's struggle with infertility and the toll it takes on her psyche over the years. The repetition of sacrifices and rituals underscores the Queen's relentless pursuit of her goal, even as her efforts remain fruitless. The juxtaposition of death and fertility reflects the dark and twisted nature of her desires, hinting at a deeper connection between her unchecked ambitions and the macabre rituals she engages in. The Queen's growing desperation and madness are palpable in the lyrics, as she grapples with the cruel irony of her barren womb despite her ruthless practices.
The lyrics take a surreal turn as the Queen seeks guidance from a mirror, a classic trope symbolizing introspection and self-revelation. However, the mirror's ominous response and the subsequent supernatural occurrences veer the narrative into a realm of horror and chaos. The shattered mirror and bleeding eyes of the envisioned child add a nightmarish quality to the scene, foreshadowing the impending doom that awaits the Queen. The imagery of mist descending and a ghostly presence confronting her intensify the sense of foreboding, leading to a dramatic confrontation between the Queen and the spectral infant she so desperately desires.
The haunting conclusion of the song reveals a tragic twist as the Queen's final attempt to grasp the phantom child ends in a grisly betrayal. The imagery of the infant's broken neck and the Queen's anguish encapsulate the themes of loss, futility, and the destructive consequences of unchecked obsession. The repeated refrain of "Blood Queen" serves as a chilling reminder of her legacy and the haunting specter of her unfulfilled desires. Through its vivid storytelling and evocative imagery, "Blood Queen" paints a harrowing portrait of a twisted monarch consumed by darkness and doomed by her own insatiable thirst for power.
Line by Line Meaning
Fifteen-hundred-thirty-six
The year she was born, marking the beginning of her dark destiny
Her age has come, the crown affixed
She has reached the age where she is meant to rule, wearing the crown of power
Her only wish is to conceive
Her deepest desire is to bear a child and continue her legacy
Whilst burning those that shun belief
While punishing those who reject her beliefs and authority
Countless years of bloodthirst
Many years filled with violence and thirst for blood
And hundreds sacrificed
Sacrificing countless lives in the pursuit of her goals
All hanged, quartered, cauterized
Punishing her enemies in brutal ways to maintain her power
The Queen's still longing to give birth
Despite her dark deeds, she still yearns to bring a child into the world
Endless years of madness
Years filled with insanity and chaos
Death-fatigue, the cruel intrigue
The exhaustion caused by endless death and the twisted plots of the court
Is the despair and the sadness
Her overwhelming sense of hopelessness and sorrow
Of a royal womb still fruitless
Her royal womb remains empty, despite her wishes
Blood Queen
A ominous title that embodies her dark reign
Like a beggar 'fore the altar
Desperately seeking divine intervention like a beggar praying before a shrine
It seems the Lord has eased her plight
Believing her prayers have been answered by a higher power
Yet miscarriage still comes swiftly
However, tragedy strikes quickly with another miscarriage
Like a thief in 'midst of night
Coming unexpectedly and under the cover of darkness
Ascending her stairs backwards
Climbing her staircase with a sense of foreboding and dread
Clutching a mirror and candle
Holding onto a mirror and candle to seek answers and guidance
"Show me my future and show me what's mine"
Begging for insight into what fate holds for her
And the mirror shows her a new-born child
Seeing a vision of the child she so desperately desires
She reaches for the infant, so sweet
Reaching out for the image of her child with longing
But the mirror cracks and its eyes start to bleed
The vision shatters and turns dark, foretelling tragedy
A thick mist descends
An eerie mist surrounds her, signaling a supernatural presence
Suddenly down the stairs
Moving swiftly towards her, overwhelming her in fear
She drops the ghastly mirror
Losing her grip on the mirror as terror consumes her
Screaming in despair
Letting out a cry of anguish and hopelessness
A shape appears in the mist
A mysterious figure materializes in the fog
And throws her to the floor
Violently casting her down, overpowering her
The child, now floating in the air
The apparition of the child defying gravity, haunting her
She screams, "No more"
Futilely protesting the torment and suffering she endures
The eyeless child then reaches out
The spectral child reaching towards her without eyes, unsettling her
She grabs its little arm
Trying to grasp onto the ghostly child, desperate for connection
But a surge of mist pulls her back
A forceful mist drags her away, preventing her from reaching the child
The sudden force breaks the infant's neck
The violent pull results in the child's neck snapping, ending the spectral presence
Blood Queen, she comes through the mirrors
The Blood Queen's dark presence can manifest through mirrors, a haunting presence
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Clemens Wijers, Dennis P. V. Droomers, Ivo Y. G. M. Wijers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pedroferrari820
MASTERPIECE OF SYMPHONIC BLACK METAL
@Bhavik.D.Sharma
Nope they are good, but check out Vampire from Nazareth from Septicflesh if you want to feel what beautiful yet destructive symphony sounds like
@Chris__L
@Bhavik Sharma septicflesh isnt black metal
@DarkSideLukas
I don't think they are black metal anymore, since This is no Fairytale they've putting some elements from death and thrash metal
@Bhavik.D.Sharma
@Chris L I told about symphonic there not anything about black metal...
@oliverguenther6360
Sounds like crap to me.
@scrumhalf9rugby
All these people bitching about "There's too much storytelling...."
They say about the band that literally only writes concept albums.
Not their most explosive track, and nowhere near their best track, but it still sounds like Carach Angren.
@corpsehead395
That's why personally like them, It's like listening to a horror movie...With emotional, and blood chilling symphony...
@CrippleX89
The sole reason that this band exists is their love of storytelling, why the fuck would you listen to this in the first place if you don't like that?
@spitfire8539
This band is crazy! But on the good note. There are just something i like about this. Never boring and always telling good horror stories.