After a cursory listen to the second album by these dark Australians, you get the impression that the musicians dove headfirst into experiments with orchestral arrangements, but that impression comes from only two tracks. In reality, this album is more guitar-oriented than its predecessor. Arguably, to that inimitable cocktail we heard on "Sombre Romantic," even more atmospherics have been added, even heavier guitars, even more complex compositional structures -- which makes the album very hard to absorb at first.
"Elegant... And Dying" is orchestral-atmospheric gothic doom metal. And VB's music is just as intricate and complex as the definition I have given it.
Despite the fact that the band is constantly perfecting and developing itself -- and this album is vivid proof of that -- their inimitable style and sound remain unchanged or undergo only the slightest transformations. Here, like a calling card, you find the memorable emotional vocals ranging from a dying whisper to a furious, hysterical scream, choral passages, beautiful lead guitar, an indescribable atmosphere achieved through various means, the most sorrowful piano, and much, much more (it is a shame they dropped the cello, perhaps).
Maybe it is precisely because of that absence that the universal grief and sorrow are no longer quite there... or maybe it is because the musicians chose to concentrate on more elaborate ways of realizing their ideas and forgot what it was all for in the first place.
In any case, VIRGIN BLACK is music that demands to be heard. And if you are not afraid of complex music and musical experimentation, VB is for you.