Reviews

(Trinity Records)

Release Date: 2009
Origin: South Korea

Sometimes it needs just luck to discover some great bands that remain unknown. I don’t remember how, but luckily enough I fell on this band with this unusual name and I checked their sound. I liked what I listened, so I searched and bought their albums. They come from South Korea and they were formed in 2003. In 2005 they released their debut “Dark Mirror ov Tragedy”, four years later this much improved work “The Pregnant of Despair” and in 2010 the 35 minute EP “Under A Withered Branch” that contained mostly covers and alternate versions of older songs.

According to the band itself they play "Koreanized" symphonic dark black gothic metal and I believe that these terms are quite accurate to describe their music. Melancholic symphonic metal with many synths, classical elements and amazing violins are combined with extreme black metal vocals (CoF style) as well as great female vocals, choirs and clear male ones. There are also some Korean influences and scales in their music and many progressive elements, but I can’t say that their sound is something totally new or distinctive. In their case though, this is something totally unimportant, because their compositions are really fantastic. I still can’t believe how good they are and how can they remain unknown, while so many uninspired bands of the genre are around making totally meaningless albums with majer labels. But then again there isn’t justice in the music “industry”...

Anyway, I believe that “The Pregnant of Despair” is the best album of the genre I’ve heard for many years now, if not the best in general. There are 10 brilliant songs for almost 74 minutes, but the album does never become boring. Maybe someone could blame them for being too melodic and not having a more solid and powerful production, but that’s only a matter of personal taste. For what they choose to play, they are perfect. Synths are really dominant in their sound, but everything else is also heard crystal clear. Their melodies are really inspired and the band seems very talented and skilled, as the beautiful guitar and violin solos reveal. Their lyrics are in English dealing about sad, melancholic and sorrowful themes, searching for the final catharsis. Both their songwriting and lyrics reveal a unique maturity and maybe that’s the key to their high quality music.

Probably I sound too favorable for the band, but that’s really what I believe, especially taking into consideration they are a new band that came out of nowhere! Dark Mirror ov Tragedy offered me great pleasure through their enchanting music and I am sure that all fans of melodic symphonic extreme metal will adore them. Especially these violin parts left me totally ecstatic!! The album is released by Trinity Records and I think their label is the only way to get this masterpiece. I am looking forward to listen to something new from them. You can also visit their myspace page to check some songs from all of their albums, which by the way aren’t at the same level with “The Pregnant of Despair”: http://www.myspace.com/dmotmetal

dimiarch

(Century Media Records)

Release Date: 2010
Origin: Finland

Finntroll are back with their latest studio album, their fifth full-length in the thirteen years of their existence. This Finnish band is one of the biggest names in the folk metal scene, with a very personal sound and that’s why they are in the ranks of Century Media. I was really amazed by their first two albums, especially “Jaktens Tid” and I found their happy humppa metal very entertaining and original. On the other hand, this “darker” sound they chose for their latest releases sounded indifferent to me. Of course they had many line-up changes and since none of the founding members remains in the band, we should expect these differences.

Luckily for me, “Nifelvind” is their best work for many years now. The band sounds folkish and “trollish” again and their music is more orchestral than ever. Their un-melodic “death” metal elements are totally vanished! Of course they still retain their brutal vocals and extreme metal elements, but everything is much more melodic. Folk instruments and tunes are dominant again, but not as much as in the first works. It’s like a marriage of “Jaktens Tid” and “Ur Jordens Djup” with a more soundtrack / symphonic approach. Their mood changes from dark epic, to happy “drunken” and each song has its own atmosphere. There are fast folk songs, epic aggressive ones and some sad slower tracks. Their production is of course flawless and their symphonic elements sound very majestic! I believe that these 3 years since their last album gave Finntroll the time for a nice come back. Their lyrics are in Swedish (written by Katla, former vocalist and founding member of the band, who belongs in a minority in Finland whose primary language is Swedish) and their subject is Scandinavian myths and folklore.

“Nifelvind” is definitely an album that most of their fans will embrace. The band has enriched its sound, but they still sound like Finntroll, with their distinctive and unique sound. The album is released in normal CD, LP and in a collector’s edition cardboard box with extras (bonus song, flag, etc…). For me, this album was a pleasant surprise and much better than what I expected. You only have to visit their myspace page to get an idea on your own: http://www.myspace.com/officialfinntroll

dimiarch

NIHILISTIC EMPIRE RECORDS 2010

Release:     17-09-2010
Origin:     Germany
Length:     46:28

“Dear Mr. Dmitry Levin I can see on your CV, that you have fulfilled the technical death metal university in Essen Germany and passed the subjects Morbid Angel, Immolation and Incantation easily and without any trouble. This is a big plus to work for our company and can help you a lot to join our team.”

“Please first tell something about yourself”. I am Dmitry Levin vocalist and bass player for the company Deus Inversus and I am also occupied with my other band Shining Of Kliffoth, maybe you have dealt with them in the past. I started this company back in 1999 and since then it is growing and got more financially and technically importance. We made a small deal in 2004 with our “The Downfall” demonstration, which finally led to our first big deal with the company System Shock in 2008. We sold for them our “Legion Is Our Name” metal products and through this order we were more established as a death metal creating and selling company. Throughout the following 2 years our products became more technical advanced, tighter and more brutal to penetrate the market with precise technical bombing, all to impress our markets to score bigger and better deals. This gave us the opportunity and this appointment to apply for a position at Nihilistic Empire Records and hopefully to cooperate together to bring out “Mastery Over The World”. Furthermore we are a 4-piece death metal b(r)and delivering pure blasphemic creations in honour to the great companies within this market segment.”

“Thanks for your explanation on this personal matter. I see possibilities, opportunities and financial ways to gain both a win-win situation in this cooperation. Your company delivering the old school based death metal honouring not only the bands mentioned in your CV, but also some Deicide and Aeon influences, old school death metal roots and also the technical creativity of outstanding acts like Immolation and Hate Eternal, although not so extreme and tight as these multinationals yet. Only negative aspect and part of our second appointment will be the financial part of the sounding engineering and construction of our possible cooperation. In my mind and ears it sounds to flat, weak, powerless and not completely fitting the image we are willing to display with our company.”

“Thanks for this conversation so far and I see many opportunities for a long-time cooperation, where our products can reach for the upper part of this technical and blasphemic death metal segment. Nice to meet and talk to you Mr. Deus Inversus; let’s start to master over our world.”


BLOODCORPSE

http://www.deusinversus.info/

http://www.myspace.com/deus-inversus