SoulDaemon - Heretic Metal
Italy's SoulDaemon has a few demos and an EP that predate 2006 and initially was founded on the concept of just bass and drums with vocals, which is nothing new as some grind acts do it like Cause For Effect and Stuka Party more recently. Necromantia has also done the same in black metal using bass guitars and drums to devastating effect as well. "Heretic Metal" is a decent album title for this full length being released some nine years after the bands last output which during that time has seen a guitarist added to the ranks. From the moment the album starts with "Black Sea" the roles of guitar and bass have been switched in terms of the dominant factor in the mix.
Listening to this I cringed repeatedly at the often off kilter tone which may be a part of the bands approach but an easy listen this does not make one iota. The production is as raw as you can imagine, with a stripped back drum sound and bass that floods the overall mix to drowning capacity. The beat and structure are fine but in terms of listening pleasure then this is far removed as the bass solo work is tonally high and piercing and played well albeit. The hollow drum sound and roll that starts 'From The Desert' starts like Uriah Heep's 'Easy Livin' momentarily and is probably unintentional as the tune swings into a more deathly style and some added guitar hooks. Those guitar aspects rear their ugly head on 'Electronic War' and are terrible, tuneless rackets to these ears and not helped by the bare bones production afforded. The title track starts reasonably well with a good melody and beat that has some tenets of cohesiveness but there is an overall lack of vitality within this release that I just didn't like at all.
Adding insult to injury is the bands cover of Bathory's 'Twilight Of The Gods', which is torturous and completely violated, removing any semblance of the magnificence the tune possesses to skeletal decaying to dust shell. I am sure some will listen to this and hail it's so called unique approach but I for one am less convinced by this band and I know I'll never get that bastardised version of the Bathory song out of my head either.
Listening to this I cringed repeatedly at the often off kilter tone which may be a part of the bands approach but an easy listen this does not make one iota. The production is as raw as you can imagine, with a stripped back drum sound and bass that floods the overall mix to drowning capacity. The beat and structure are fine but in terms of listening pleasure then this is far removed as the bass solo work is tonally high and piercing and played well albeit. The hollow drum sound and roll that starts 'From The Desert' starts like Uriah Heep's 'Easy Livin' momentarily and is probably unintentional as the tune swings into a more deathly style and some added guitar hooks. Those guitar aspects rear their ugly head on 'Electronic War' and are terrible, tuneless rackets to these ears and not helped by the bare bones production afforded. The title track starts reasonably well with a good melody and beat that has some tenets of cohesiveness but there is an overall lack of vitality within this release that I just didn't like at all.
Adding insult to injury is the bands cover of Bathory's 'Twilight Of The Gods', which is torturous and completely violated, removing any semblance of the magnificence the tune possesses to skeletal decaying to dust shell. I am sure some will listen to this and hail it's so called unique approach but I for one am less convinced by this band and I know I'll never get that bastardised version of the Bathory song out of my head either.
- Black Sea
- From The Dessert
- Electronic War
- Dead World
- Heretic Metal
- Twilight Of The Gods (cover Bathory)
- Wings Of Death
- Survive In The Abyss
- Symbolum 666 (cover Sequeri)
Self released
Reviewer: twansibon
Apr 25, 2015
Apr 25, 2015
Next review:
Veld - Daemonic: The Art Of Dantalian
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