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.
Departure Towards a Nautical Curse
Carach Angren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And threw the helmsman ruthlessly overboard.
In defiance of the storm, that kept them anchored for so long, he swore an oath to forfeit right and wring.
Irreverent he cussed loudly: "I will round the cape,
even if I have to sail until doomsday!"
Their petrified facial expressions could tell: their master was like a devil on this floating piece of hell.
There and then he gave the signal of departure.
"Make sail and weigh the hook!"
Hear the Easter bells tolling through the roaring sound of a rough sea, accompanied by the sight of a ship sailing towards her destiny.
What a spectacle of Blasphemy.
There was no rejoice after his mad choice.
Sails were lost, decks were flooded and lightning turned their ship into a coal-black carcass.
Anxiety replaced vainglory.
The storm died down but a sinister shroud of darkness remained, for the daylight came no more.
Floating in unending dusk, adrift on liquid ground.
Months went by and land was never found.
Food supplies putrefied and pestilence broke out.
Suicide became routine, some chose suspension, others jumped and drowned.
The dead were sown in hammocks and disposed of in the sea, buried in a watery grave, after a short ceremony.
The crew froze as he left his cabin with knife and gun, slaughtering what was left of them one by one.
There was an evil murderous glimpse in his eyes.
By the time he was done, the ship was desecrated by death and demise.
Van der Decken lashes himself to the wheel, swearing at Christ: "I shall not yield!"
All at once a new storm rose and lightning struck.
The top mast broke off, impaling him, a shard of the crest piercing his chest, in a standing position nailed to the deck.
And so a man dies, and a ghost resurrects.
The lyrics to Carach Angren's "Departure Towards a Nautical Curse" tell the story of a captain's doomed journey through the ocean. The captain is portrayed as a reckless and sinister figure, willing to sacrifice his crew and the integrity of his ship in order to fulfill his own desires. The first verse describes how the captain murders the helmsman and swears an oath to continue sailing despite the dangers of the storm. The crew is terrified of their leader and there is a sense of impending doom throughout the song.
As the ship sails through the stormy seas, it becomes apparent that the captain's decision has led to a disastrous outcome. Sails are lost, decks are flooded, and the ship is struck by lightning. The crew is plagued by disease and suicide becomes a common occurrence. Eventually, the captain himself becomes a victim of the storm and is impaled on the deck. The final line of the song suggests that the captain becomes a ghost, making it clear that this journey was not one of triumph but of tragedy.
Overall, the lyrics to "Departure Towards a Nautical Curse" paint a picture of a captain driven by madness and greed, whose actions lead to the destruction of his crew and ship. It is a cautionary tale about the perils of ignoring the dangers of nature and the consequences of putting one's own desires above the well-being of others.
Line by Line Meaning
The crew froze as he wiped the blood off on his coat
The crew became still and silent as their captain cleaned the bloodstains off his coat, hinting that he was a ruthless and dangerous man.
And threw the helmsman ruthlessly overboard.
He forcefully threw the helmsman off the ship into the stormy sea, showing that he would not tolerate any disobedience or reluctance from his crew.
In defiance of the storm, that kept them anchored for so long, he swore an oath to forfeit right and wring.
Despite being unable to move forward due to the storm, he pledged to abandon his sense of right and wrong to achieve his goals, even if it meant causing harm to others.
Irreverent he cussed loudly: 'I will round the cape, even if I have to sail until doomsday!'
He swore stubbornly to keep going and reach his destination no matter what, even if it meant risking the safety and lives of his crew by sailing into dangerous waters.
Their petrified facial expressions could tell: their master was like a devil on this floating piece of hell.
The crew's horrified faces revealed their realization that their captain's behavior was dangerously chaotic and devilish, and that they were trapped on a ship in the middle of a dangerous sea with him.
There and then he gave the signal of departure. 'Make sail and weigh the hook!' And so they left the harbor.
He commanded his crew to set sail, and they departed from the harbor, leaving behind land and safety for an uncertain and perilous journey.
Hear the Easter bells tolling through the roaring sound of a rough sea, accompanied by the sight of a ship sailing towards her destiny.
The sound of Easter bells rings out over the tumultuous sea as the ship sets out on a doomed journey, symbolizing the dark fate that awaits them.
What a spectacle of Blasphemy.
The events that unfold on the ship are a horrific display of blasphemy, as the crew suffers and dies in despair and agony.
There was no rejoice after his mad choice.
The captain's reckless decision to sail into dangerous waters did not lead to any sense of celebration or accomplishment, only suffering and death for the crew.
Sails were lost, decks were flooded and lightning turned their ship into a coal-black carcass.
The ship is damaged beyond repair by the storm, with torn sails, flooding decks, and a blackened appearance due to lightning strikes.
Anxiety replaced vainglory.
The crew's initial feelings of pride and arrogance are replaced by overwhelming anxiety and fear as they face certain death at sea.
The storm died down but a sinister shroud of darkness remained, for the daylight came no more.
The storm may have passed, but the ship is still trapped in darkness and despair, with no hope of finding their way back to civilization.
Floating in unending dusk, adrift on liquid ground.
The ship is lost in a never-ending state of darkness and uncertainty, with no land or beacon in sight to guide them to safety.
Months went by and land was never found.
Despite sailing for months, the crew is unable to find any land or hope for survival, leading to despair and desperation.
Food supplies putrefied and pestilence broke out.
Disease and decay become a common occurrence on the ship as the food supplies spoil and sickness spreads among the crew.
Suicide became routine, some chose suspension, others jumped and drowned.
The crew is so overwhelmed by their dire situation that some of them choose to take their own lives, either by hanging themselves or jumping overboard to drown.
The dead were sown in hammocks and disposed of in the sea, buried in a watery grave, after a short ceremony.
The bodies of the deceased crew members are wrapped in hammocks and thrown into the sea, with only a brief ceremony to mark their passing before they are forgotten in the vast expanse of the ocean.
The crew froze as he left his cabin with knife and gun, slaughtering what was left of them one by one.
The captain reveals his true nature as a violent and bloodthirsty man, killing off the remaining members of his crew in a brutal and merciless fashion.
There was an evil murderous glimpse in his eyes.
The captain's eyes reveal his wickedness and malice, hinting at the depths of his depravity.
By the time he was done, the ship was desecrated by death and demise.
After the captain finishes his killing spree, the ship is left in ruins, with the bodies of the dead littering the decks and the spirit of the crew shattered beyond repair.
Van der Decken lashes himself to the wheel, swearing at Christ: 'I shall not yield!'
In a state of desperation and madness, the captain lashes himself to the wheel of the ship and curses at God, refusing to give up and face the inevitable outcomes of his actions.
All at once a new storm rose and lightning struck. The top mast broke off, impaling him, a shard of the crest piercing his chest, in a standing position nailed to the deck.
In a final act of destruction, a new storm strikes the already-doomed ship, killing the captain in a gruesome and ironic manner - impaled by a broken mast and nailed to the deck in a standing position.
And so a man dies, and a ghost resurrects.
With the death of the captain, the ship is left adrift as a ghostly reminder of the terrors that unfolded on its decks, becoming a haunted symbol of the consequences of human greed and recklessness.
Contributed by Samuel F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
CARACH ANGREN FAN
The album by Carach Angren that made me an ever bigger fan of them. I've been into them since they first started making studio full-length albums. They have changed their sound so much with every release.
Evan Gray
This is fucking amazing
Omnium
when i play skull and bones by ubi soft , all ill be listening to is carach angren.
Nikola Popov
This version is different? Or I am imagining it?
Jaron Talotta
Oooooo imaginit