Whilst much in the modern arena of black metal could be linked to the classical composers of the twentieth century in terms of compositional form and musical ambition, the music of Austrian duo Krankheit takes almost all of it’s inspiration from what might well be considered the greatest hits of ‘true’ classical music.

By turn the melodies of Mozart, Handel and Schubert are twisted to meet the will of these modern day pirates; The idea, of course, smacks a little of musical and creative desperation, though of course the musical themes lend themselves to the bombast of theatrical or symphonic heavy metal. However, whilst listeners may at first be amused by Krankheit’s dismemberment of the music of Schubert more popularly known as Ave Maria, on refelection they may find themselves congratulating the artists on the post-modernism they have managed to inject into one of classical music’s great standards. Listeners familiar with the work of Laibach may find parities of style at play here.

Of less interest, though perhaps more artistic value is the ‘original’ material. Here Krankheit are less adventurous, sticking to a tried and true form of sturm und drang that offers little by way of surprise but will certainly appeal to fans of the medium. The two styles fail to mix, leaving an album that perhaps feels like the work of two different artistes (or five or six allowing for credit to be given to the original progenitors of the classical works). However the artists have been extant and ploughing the same musical furrow for many years, and so the mix is obviously one that is good for both artist and fanbase. Long may they continue to prosper, though this reviewer would be more intrigued to see them following their classical muse a little more extensively next time.

Gargantua is out now