The Album

The Vanishing Cabinet came out with A Closet Full of Wrock on January 1, 2008. It was rereleased on August 21, 2020, and includes three bonus tracks from their unfinished second EP, Death Eater Transportation. It’s time to step into the cabinet and see where we end up!

The Tracks

The album starts off with the song Not Another Girl in Line. It has a melancholic melody, accompanied by guitar. It’s a love song for Harry, and I really like the guitar chord choices. The song progresses with a steady repeating pattern of chords and strumming, and ends on a sad note.

The sad thread continues into the next song, Robbed by the Blade. I was pleasantly surprised to hear a flute in addition to the slow guitar. The flute adds a hauntingly beautiful tone to the song. The lyrics in this track describe how wicked Bellatrix is.

Valentine for Bella starts off with a very sweet guitar solo before the vocals come in. This parody of Dream a Little Dream of Me is upbeat and has beautiful vocals that fade out as the song ends.

A chilling werewolf howl begins the next song, Full Moon Rising. The sad and longing lyrics describe what it is like to be a werewolf when the full moon rises in the sky. Even though the werewolf may change every month, as long as they think of the person or people they love, they’ll be all right in the end.

Another sad song is next in line, from George’s point of view. Losing Fred was hard for everyone, but it was the worst for his twin. I’m Okay is a beautifully harrowing song that made my eyes tear up. The lyrics, melody, and guitar pulled at my heartstrings.

Coming for You takes a very different turn of pace with a faster tempo and a funky beat, complete with synth in the background. This song warns of Voldemort’s return as the Dark Mark hovers in the air.

A minimalistic drum track and a single vocal introduce the next song, Memories from the Graveyard. It has a very spooky ambiance, with echoing drums and what sounds like tall stalks of grass swishing in the wind. Whispers, drops of water, and the ghostly melody of the song combine to form a style of music that is very appropriate to the title and topic of the song.

The first of the three bonus tracks is called Until Then… and has a flowing, meditative quality. I feel like I would hear this song in a massage parlor. Slow and steady, the lyrics tell of how time keeps moving forward no matter what. The instrumentals in this song are absolutely gorgeous, and has a definite calming effect. This was a favorite for me.

The meditative sound continues through to the next bonus song, The Last Marauder. With breathtakingly beautiful harmonies and sentimental lyrics, this song was also a favorite of mine.

The third and final bonus track, which also ends the album, is called Final Wish. Snape recounts his life – especially his early years – with Lily and asks for one last request: for Harry to look at him with the same eyes that his mother had. I love everything about this song, from the lyrics and instrumentals to the harmonies and longing tempo. It is truly a beautiful end to an equally beautiful album.

In Summary

I really enjoyed listening to this album. It has the perfect mix of sad songs, which I love, upbeat tracks, and unexpected surprises buried in the music. The feel of the album reminds me of the original days of wizard rock (even though I didn’t find out about wrock until 2011, OG wrock will always have a certain kind of sound to me). Please give it a listen and let me know what you think! My rating for this album is 1/1 Mysterious Vanishing Cabinet!