TALES OF BELLE, PART 1 - ACROSS THE OCEAN

First I need to thank someone at Apollon Records for sending new releases unannounced to my old address over the last several months. I honestly thought the first package was from Simen of SHAMBLEMATHS but it wasn't until getting this last batch that I saw that the sender's name was Apollon Records. And ADVENTURE are part of their lineup of bands out of Norway and they are a six piece playing Symphonic music but adding Folk and Heavy Prog elements. This is a concept album about Norwegian Belle Gunness believed to be one of the world's first female serial killers with up to 14+ victims. All this in America where she immigrated to. The victims were mostly her own adopted children and wealthy men she lured to her farm. I never heard of any of this so it was interesting to learn about this piece of morbid history. And it's "Part I" so the story will continue. By the way this band released two albums in the 00's and two in the 10's so this is studio album number five. They thank Jacob Holm Lupo for his help in the liner notes.

"Hell's Belle" opens with lyrics about the terrible fire that killed her children and others including a woman without a head. Also finding more bodies buried on her property. The music is very DISCIPLINE-like with the organ and heavy sound. We do get male and female vocals on this album which works out well for the concept. The female adds flute and piano. A hit and miss affair for yours truly but interesting and enjoyable. I'm glad to have spent this past week with it.

Belle was born into severe poverty and so money was everything to her cashing out on insurance claims with the fires seemingly to get away with murder as this pattern continued in her life. Died before she was 50 under suspicious circumstances not so surprisingly. "Voices" is quite folky with guest mandolin and tin whistle giving a celtic vibe. This talks about her mental illnesses. "The Last Goodbye" is about a Swedish orphan girl she adopted and the girl's dreams of moving to California but she was found buried in a pigsty on Belle's property.

Probably closer to 3.5 stars but my distaste for concept albums comes to the fore here although they managed to keep the instrumental work fairly interesting throughout instead of dwelling fully on the lyrics like many bands do. Well worth checking out.