While Angel Dust has released a handful albums to date, I have to admit this is my first encounter with their music. I have no excuses as to how I have let this band slip through the cracks but it happened and dammit I can't foking pick everything up. With that said, I really wanted to like this album in its entirety. I could not have sat down for the first listen of, Of Human Bondage with anymore of an open mind.
Upon listening to the first tune, The Human Bondage. I was immediately taken back by the production. My speakers rang out with precession. The mix of lows to high melding perfectly. A tight ass production indeed, there is nothing bad I could say pertaining to this aspect. As for what I heard, Power Metal. Now a day I find more people are beginning to shy away from the power outfits. Basically the decision being made because these bands seem to lack exactly the element in which they are labeled "POWER". How you explain it I am not quite sure. Does it strictly come down to vocals that make a metal band either power or death? There is generally always astonishing music behind any band labeled Power Metal. It generally lies within the vocals of just how powerful it is. I have heard some amazing music that with just a touch of gut growls added to the mix would have taken them over the top. Who knows in the end? I am truly getting tired of arguing this shit altogether to tell you the truth. Christ it's just music isn't it?
Photo Credit: Volker Beushausen
How about I just dissect the damn album and leave that shit alone? Angel Dust does fuse together all aspects of the Power genre. With grand choruses, tight leads, big vocals and of course the patented acoustic to crunch ballad tune. Where I find the most notable guise within Of Human Bondage lies directly within their choruses. Goodgod, you talk about catchy. These damn verses stick in your head whether you want them there or not and pretty much every tune has one. At times they fusion together some down right heavy parts with staccato picking and large double bass drums and then bring it down to a more melodic passage. I hate to say it but bordering almost on a Rock feel. I found while reading along with the lyrics that my attention to the music really strayed. For you see some of the lyrics are just down right bad. Plenty of cheeze in the lyrics. Luckily a many of fan do not always observe the lyrical standpoint. A chick might better receive these lyrics because they did absolutely nothing for me. This is one of the first occasions where lyrics really made an impact on the music for me. So for me once I put the lyrics down it was quite a bit better overall.
Bottom Line: Angel Dust is indeed Power Metal. They don't perform anything really new pertaining to this class of music. But they do indeed deliver a damn solid album minus the lyrics. If you are a fan of the absolute metal crush you don't even want to go near this one. If you have some extra cash and can tolerate this style of music then go out and get it. It makes for some great background music never the less.
