The four songs of “Pale Serenades” come from very different creative periods of the band from Thuringia – at least the original versions. Chronologically descending, DÉCEMBRE NOIR‘s new EP offers one track from each of the albums “The Renaissance Of Hope” (2020), “Autumn Kings” (2018), “Forsaken Earth” (2016) and “A Discouraged Believer” (2014).
The new EP of the Erfurt group offers completely new versions of the reference songs ‘A Swan Lake Full Of Tears’, ‘Barricades’, ‘Small.Town.Depression’ and ‘The Forsaken Earth’. Who, if not the German band itself can change the context and meaning in such a way that the four tracks sound completely different and yet somehow familiar in their new guise?!
That this is a matter of the heart of DÉCEMBRE NOIR is not only shown by the special emotionality of the songs, but also a look at the collaboration partners and the stylistic breadth of the EP. On the realization of “Pale Serenades” participate renowned greats: Mick Moss (ANTIMATTER), Aaron Stainthorpe (MY DYING BRIDE), Michelle Darkness (END OF GREEN) as well as Matthew K. Heafy (TRIVIUM and IBARAKI), arranged by the golden hands of Alexander Dietz (Heaven Shall Burn, Chemical Burn Audio Studio). Together the musicians develop a dark, touching sound. Death and doom metal take a back seat this time. DÉCEMBRE NOIR and their guests change the stylistic framework. They stage the songs acoustic and rocky, in other places electronically enriched or modern-metallic. This inevitably brings the excellent songwriting of the Thuringians into focus. The songs of DÉCEMBRE NOIR also work wonderfully in their other guise, with the developing atmosphere evoking more than one melancholic shiver.
