ELVIRA MADIGAN - ANGELIS DEAMONAE
(Black Lodge Records)

Cover versions are funny things. Generally despised by music lovers who have been worn down by the endless retreads churned out by manufactured pap stars, the cover version nevertheless has the potential to be astonishing, either because it reveals hitherto unseen depths to a song or because it radically reconstructs a familiar tune, creating something both new and old at once
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Elvira Madigan's latest opus Angelis Deamonae is a case in point. Designed as a snack between 'proper' EM albums, this collection of covers succeeds in twisting and blurring a bunch of songs from disparate artists into a work which flows beautifully, and feels every bit as original and conceptually slick as any original work. The fact that many listeners won't be overly familiar with the original versions (which include songs by Tori Amos and... erm... Chris DeBurgh) undoubtedly helps, of course, but Marcus Madigan has managed to make the songs his own, resulting in a potently powerful, epic album full of progressive pagan metal. The flow of light and dark, excellent productions and musicianship, and just the right level of pomposity makes this a surprising winner.

DAVID FLINT

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