Holland’s best kept secret The Charm The Fury release A Shade of My Former Self, a record full of loud screaming metalcore sound, black metal noise and influences from The Dillinger Escape Plan to The Black Dahlia Murder. Lead by howling screamer Caroline Westerndorp, delivering 10 songs of loud, all in the pit worthy chaotic gems and two instrumentals.
Westerndorp’s scream can surely turn heads, all the way around perhaps but while her iron-lunged The Agonist/Arch Enemy delivery are at the forefront, she can sound like Morgan Lander’s beautifully soft haunting throat when she sings, as well.
Less than two seconds into opener A New State of Mind we’re introduced to the Netherland beauties blast beat fast revolving door of screaming and singing with background demonic vocals. Carte Blanche opens with an impassioned revolutionary persecution call to musical arms, being lost and dismissed in a corporate world, turning eerily reflective and serene midway surveying the battlefield carnage. There’s no dueling banjos on Deliverance but will inspire dueling slamming bodies.
We take a 1:43 break from the madness with In The Wake of Prides’s instrumental meditational scenic keyboard bliss bringing feelings of hope and eventual triumph from the heavens. While The Unveiling’s somber piano opening and mourning violin leaves a much more downtrodden feeling before the marching beat begins with keyboards pouring over, to strengthen the sound only to be lost seconds later by the blasting drums/guitars of Virtue of Leadership.
They’ve already toured relentlessly and will bring their thunderous anthems overseas soon. With YouTube videos for Carte Blanche and Virtue of Leadership they’re guaranteed to draw attention and large pits.
