The Call of the Wretched Sea
Encyclopedia
The Call of the Wretched Sea is the debut album by the German
Moby-Dick
-themed funeral doom band Ahab
. It was released in 2006.
drummer
. Production
, engineering
, mastering
and mixing
tasks were carried out by Stephan Adolph.
It was released on October 10, 2006 through Napalm Records
. Double-LP versions of this album were released through Deviant Records
; there were 100 copies in green vinyl, 100 copies in red vinyl, and 300 copies in black vinyl.
melodies, downtuned guitars, echoing percussion and deep and guttural vocals. Chants and choral vocal parts are also arranged at various points during the album. The track "Old Thunder" features an orchestrated central portion as well as clean-droned baritones substituting the guttural vocals in some sections. "The Sermon" has a central passage of near-silent melodic ripples that temporarily interrupt the album's guitar passages.
The Call of the Wretched Sea is a concept album
which attempts to reinterpret Herman Melville
's Moby-Dick
. Some of its lyrics have been adapted directly from Melville's writings. The album tries to represent the feelings of foreboding as told through the story of the book's main character, the despotic Captain Ahab. However, the retelling of the novel is incomplete, which means Ahab's following albums are likely to continue it.
. It has been considered a fine example of the style, but not appealing enough to people who don't appreciate doom metal
. Corny Althammer's drumming was specially praised.
. Lyrics written by Herman Melville
except "The Pacific," by Daniel Droste
and Melville; "Old Thunder," by Christian Hector and "The Hunt," by Christian Hoffarth.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Moby-Dick
Moby-Dick
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, was written by American author Herman Melville and first published in 1851. It is considered by some to be a Great American Novel and a treasure of world literature. The story tells the adventures of wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaleship Pequod,...
-themed funeral doom band Ahab
Ahab (band)
Ahab is a German funeral doom metal band founded in 2004 by Midnattsol guitarists Christian Hector and Daniel Droste and former Endzeit guitarist Stephan Adolph. The band is named after Captain Ahab, a character in the novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville...
. It was released in 2006.
History
The Call of the Wretched Sea is Ahab's first studio album. It was the band's first recording since their first two demos. To record the album, they recruited Corny Althammer as sessionSession musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
. Production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineering
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mastering
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
and mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
tasks were carried out by Stephan Adolph.
It was released on October 10, 2006 through Napalm Records
Napalm Records
Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock.Originally, Napalm Records focused mainly on black metal acts such as Abigor and Summoning and folk metal bands such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg....
. Double-LP versions of this album were released through Deviant Records
Deviant Records
Deviant Records was a London-based record label which has featured releases from artists such as Paul Van Dyk, Witchman, Humate, and Spooky. It went into liquidation in 2006 and was sold to Phoenix Music International Ltd.-External links:*...
; there were 100 copies in green vinyl, 100 copies in red vinyl, and 300 copies in black vinyl.
Music
The album has been treated as an example of what funeral doom metal represents. It features slow synthesizerSynthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
melodies, downtuned guitars, echoing percussion and deep and guttural vocals. Chants and choral vocal parts are also arranged at various points during the album. The track "Old Thunder" features an orchestrated central portion as well as clean-droned baritones substituting the guttural vocals in some sections. "The Sermon" has a central passage of near-silent melodic ripples that temporarily interrupt the album's guitar passages.
The Call of the Wretched Sea is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
which attempts to reinterpret Herman Melville
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
's Moby-Dick
Moby-Dick
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, was written by American author Herman Melville and first published in 1851. It is considered by some to be a Great American Novel and a treasure of world literature. The story tells the adventures of wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaleship Pequod,...
. Some of its lyrics have been adapted directly from Melville's writings. The album tries to represent the feelings of foreboding as told through the story of the book's main character, the despotic Captain Ahab. However, the retelling of the novel is incomplete, which means Ahab's following albums are likely to continue it.
Critical reception
The album was given a 4 of 5 by Allmusic and an 8 of 10 by blabbermouth.netBlabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
. It has been considered a fine example of the style, but not appealing enough to people who don't appreciate doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
. Corny Althammer's drumming was specially praised.
Track listing
Music by AhabAhab (band)
Ahab is a German funeral doom metal band founded in 2004 by Midnattsol guitarists Christian Hector and Daniel Droste and former Endzeit guitarist Stephan Adolph. The band is named after Captain Ahab, a character in the novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville...
. Lyrics written by Herman Melville
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
except "The Pacific," by Daniel Droste
Daniel Droste
- Career :He is known for being the guitarist of the gothic/folk metal band Midnattsol and the vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist of the funeral doom band Ahab.-With Penetralia:*Schwarz *Tribute to the Moon...
and Melville; "Old Thunder," by Christian Hector and "The Hunt," by Christian Hoffarth.
Personnel
- Daniel DrosteDaniel Droste- Career :He is known for being the guitarist of the gothic/folk metal band Midnattsol and the vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist of the funeral doom band Ahab.-With Penetralia:*Schwarz *Tribute to the Moon...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Christian Hector – guitar, layout design
- Stephan Adolph – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitar, vocals - Cornelius Althammer – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Stephan Adolph – productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Caroline Traitler – photography