Cartagena frame Tissitania as an immersive audio fiction, a concept album built around Amazigh culture and Ania’s journey, with the story and world also developed into a handmade book. They also describe the album as being inspired by True Story, a Tunisian short film by director Amine Lakhnech. Released in 2019, the film is a 21 minute moral tale with horror elements, centred on an orphaned girl born with an enlarged heart and the dark bargain that follows. It screened widely, including at festivals that list major awards for it at the Carthage Film Festival in 2019.
Going into this record, I already knew I was about to face around forty five minutes of symphonic metal, which is not exactly my favourite territory. It feels as if I have never had the right footwear to walk those paths comfortably. Still, Tissitania surprised me, starting with Nessrine Mahbouli’s clean voice and the epic transformation that takes her from screams to choirs in the background, with an excellent, operatic level performance. It recalls the skill of Klaus Nomi, but in a more serious and piercing way. Without taking anything away from the other members, if Nessrine is the musical heart of the band, then Saif Kechrid is the brain, as composer and drummer, and as the one responsible for the smart, precise addition of ethnic instruments. He anchors the groove, and next to the symphonic layers it gives the album that Beauty and the Beast contrast.
After the introduction, “Astarte/Tanit” and “Akham n’Teryel” follow the same formula, almost as if they are inseparable, with the band throwing everything in at once to grab the listener. The shift comes with “Elysha/Dido”, where the Tunisians take a more experimental, more challenging route, proving their sound is not the result of a formula, but of inspiration, creativity, and experimentation. “Sophonisba (203BC)” is the darkest and most traditional piece on the album, with ghostly chants cutting through the instrumental groove, creating the perfect introduction for two of the strongest moments here: “Dyhia/Al Kahina” and “Ania”, where it feels like the science of genetics steps in to create the perfect being out of the band’s biggest strengths.
A great album that, with the right production budget, could compete head to head with the best being made in this style worldwide.
Listen to Cartagena’s “Chapter 8: Ania” below.
