Darkstorm
Hell Satan Blasphemy
6.1
Hail it up for superior compositional skills. Then unload a clip for shit production. I guess because I just listened to Gorgoroth's latest I have no tolerance for the sound this band settles for. "Settles" my ass. The sound they preferred. Whispy crispy thin and dainty metal... It's not going to end, and I can't even put a dent in it. I understand that. But I will not succumb to the trendy anti trendies. Thin is not a metal sound. Weak is not a metal sound. Bitch all you want, ladies.
And, as is so often the case, without the anus licking production, this would be a really good record. If you like this sound, apart form also liking the taste of rancid sperm, you will be in an ecstasy of hate and Yeevil. This is not droning, monotonous black metal, but the undulating, ground covering style, where the blast beats are offset by galloping speed and plodding stomp. Rarely does the songwriting settle for a single riff or chord progression. If the sound wasn't so utterly spineless I would be quite happy with this effort.
As an aside, I think I have had about all the Satan I can stand for one lifetime. Does Satan still fucking scare anyone? Seriously, as one of the weakest points of the whole adversary based Christian niche I can't help but yawn at this tired old saw. It has, as they say, jumped the shark. But whatever. Gives the singer something to rip his throat about.
In the area of musicianship, every player is adequate, and the band's cohesiveness is impressive. These guys are not doing this for a shred factor so their skills are really beside the point, but I do like to hear bands that read each other and care about presenting their music without the distraction of sloppy bandsmanship.
Bottom line: I urge the invertebrate Lucifer crowd to grab this record. It's got everything else that makes a great record, and you lot seem to rub your pussies harder when the music is played through a series of tubes and tin cans. I reckon this will be money well diverted from Vaseline purchases. For the more heavy minded metalhead I have to go sixes. The songs are top form, the performance is fiery and tight, but the sound is obnoxious. If you don't care too much about thin, it's worth it. If you care a lot, like me, you should take a listen first. It IS worth that listen. But to own is another matter. For myself there may be the odd evening where I just want some tinkerbell blackness for some reason. If so I will keep this on hand.
