Carach Angren is a symphonic metal band from the Netherlands, formed by two… Read Full Bio ↴Carach Angren is a symphonic metal band from the Netherlands, formed by two members of the now-defunct bands Inger Indolia and Vaultage. Their style is characterized by prominent usage of orchestral arrangements, harsh vocals, and guitar riffs. Their studio albums are concept albums with lyrics based on ghost stories and folklore, such as the Flying Dutchman. The band sets itself apart from other symphonic metal artists with the usage of multiple languages such as English, French, German, and Dutch. Most songs are based on English, with transitions into other languages during chorus and bridge sections.
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.

Spectral Infantry Battalions
Carach Angren Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Battle formations, dead but still wandering ahead. A gigantic apparition keeps rising from a field, once coloured red from bloodshed.

Where the sounds of war still can be heard and the balance of nature is seriously disturbed.

Spectral infantry battalions marching through a freezing timeless void. Again, ghostly cavalry regiments shall ride the lands they'd once destroyed.

Battle formations, fog-like infantry battalions. Battle formations, marching unto an endless destination.

This is the sound of death; a military haunting! Battle formations, still marching ahead! Battle formations! Death!

Death!

Overall Meaning

The song Spectral Infantry Battalions by Carach Angren describes the aftermath of a brutal war that took place on a particular field. The first verse talks about the dead soldiers who are still wandering ahead, indicating that their spirits are trapped on the land due to the atrocities that took place. The next line talks about a gigantic apparition that rises from the same field which was once covered with the blood of the fallen soldiers. The band portrays the image of a ghostly land which is filled with dead spirits still fighting the war that claimed their lives.

The second verse talks about the conundrum that surrounds the land where the battle took place. The war sounds still echo through the field, and it is no longer in balance with nature. The setting is now transformed into a freezing timeless void, meaning it has no life and has been rendered inhospitable to any further human habitation. The chorus, which repeats the phrase "battle formations" multiple times, seems to indicate that no one can escape their fate, even in death. The ghost soldiers are still marching ahead, while their battle formations, which are now fog-like, haunt the lands.

In summary, Carach Angren's Spectral Infantry Battalions is a song that paints a vivid picture of a land that is haunted by the souls of dead soldiers. It is an account of the aftermath of a brutal war and the devastating effects it can have on both the land and the people involved.

Line by Line Meaning

Battle formations, dead but still wandering ahead. A gigantic apparition keeps rising from a field, once coloured red from bloodshed.
An army of dead soldiers continues to move forward, their ghosts emerging from a battlefield covered in blood. The aftermath of the battle still echoes with destruction and death.

Where the sounds of war still can be heard and the balance of nature is seriously disturbed.
Even though the battle has ended, the landscape bears witness to its ravages. The natural order has been disturbed and the wounds of war still resonate throughout the area.

Spectral infantry battalions marching through a freezing timeless void. Again, ghostly cavalry regiments shall ride the lands they'd once destroyed.
The ghostly soldiers continue to march through a frozen, timeless space, while the cavalry rides once more over the lands they previously laid waste to.

Battle formations, fog-like infantry battalions. Battle formations, marching unto an endless destination.
The ghostly battalions, shrouded in mist, continue their march towards an endless, unknown destination.

This is the sound of death; a military haunting! Battle formations, still marching ahead! Battle formations! Death! Death!
The constant march of spectral soldiers is a haunting reminder of the horrors of war. The sounds of their march represent death itself, as the ghostly army continues to move forward without end.

Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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