Diadem
Crimson Sunset
6
Diadem’s Crimson Sunset is the project of Anthony Prechtl, a young man, who at the tender age of 18 is already unleashing his vision upon the metal community. It's a commendable project. However, judging from what I'm hearing on Crimson Sunset, it may be a few years before Diadem is actually ready to step up and play with the big boys.
Being that Diadem is a one man band, all the songs are squarely focused around Anthony’s guitar riffs. Drawing from familiar influences such as Amon Amarth and At the Gates, there isn’t too much on display here that you haven’t heard before. The songs usually plod along at a medium tempo, moving from notey half thrash to galloping power chords. The musicianship is up to snuff and all the ideas are executed adequately. However, it does little to detract from the fact that every idea on this album has been done to death years ago. Far be it for me to criticize a melodic death metal album for lacking originality, though. I mean, there's about as much room to move around in this genre as there is in the trunk of my sister's Volkswagen Bug.
To tell the truth, the banality of this album would more than likely pass underneath my radar if not for the rather lifeless performance of Prechtl. Clearly this young man has talent, and draws from a good range of influences, but damned if this isn’t one of the most restrained performances I’ve heard. Prechtl seems afraid to tear it up, opting instead to go the safe route. It’s too bad, because there are many moments on this song that would have benefited greatly from a little added emphasis on the artist's end. Too often there were transitions taking place on Crimson Sunset that came off as pointless or unimportant simply because they were performed with next to no vigor. Adding to the monotony is a rather flat production that offers zilch in terms of heft or variation.
Prechtl definitely has some chops, and the effort he put into writing these riffs is apparent. With time will come confidence, and hopefully that will transfer into more passionate performances. Add to that the recent addition of a real drummer and bass player, and Diadem may just be a band you’ll want to look out for in the future.
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DiademEmpyreal Dusk
12/1/2006