Artist: Daath
Title: Daath
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Release Date: 22nd October 2010
Label: Century Media
Album Review
DAATH has always been an interesting band. First they released their industrial influenced ‘The Hinderers’ which was full of infectious dance beats and other atmospheric influences that really made the album stand out. Then, for some sad reason, they changed their entire musical structure with ‘The Concealers’ by aiming for a more melodic death metal structure. But they just didn’t do it right. Every track seemed severely lacking without the industrial elements, and though it was ten times more ferocious, the music felt generic with little variation to difference between tracks. It was basically mallcore with all show and no bite. Fortunately, DAATH’S latest album, their self titled, fixes all the problems that ‘Concealers’ had. While the band still hasn’t gone back to their industrial groovy kicks that made ‘Hinderers’ so much fun to listen to, they’ve stepped it up on the melodies without losing any aggression.
The guitars are the main attraction here with ‘Daath’. Tracks like ‘Indestructible Overdose’ and ‘Accelerant’ feature flamboyant solos and crushing rhythms that really knock listeners off their feet. DAATH has certainly gotten more technical, and the fans should love them for it. The vocals are just as vicious and drip of hatred without feeling forced or sour. The drums are possibly the only ‘industrial’ influence considering how they are layered into the mix and sound like a bunch of crushing cymbals thick with sound and distortion to shake the foundations of every speaker that this CD is played on. Sometimes they are muddled and other times they are clear as day on a track like ‘A Cold Devotion’, where the beat can get just as technical as the guitars. They keyboards also make a more prominent presence, sometimes starting off tracks like ‘Arch (Enemy) Misanthrope’ before giving way to the guitar melodies, or adding a few industrial laced beats with the interlude of ‘Oxygen Burn’. They play the most active role on ‘Terminal Now’, which is a moody instrumental that starts off with a roaring introduction before simmering down; however, the foreboding chug in the background never lets up before leading into a guitar solo. Every track has a solo, and thankfully, it’s not the same thing each time.
Whatever mishaps came from ‘Concealers’, ‘Daath’ overrules them completely. It is clear that a return to the full industrial form of their ‘Hinderers’ album is less than likely, but within this album at least fans can hear some sprinkles of industrial influences. Vocalist Sean Zatorsky may have disappointed fans with his debut work on ‘Concealers’ and perhaps was even blamed for the band’s abrupt direction. However, here he redeems himself with the rest of the original members. He’s no Sean Farber, but has a voice that is much more powerful and effective than the former vocalist. Obviously DAATH wanted to go for something a bit cleaner and balanced while still maintaining a mainstream metal sound and their ‘Self Title’ is just that. Hopefully fans will find redemption in these death metallers from the U.S. And new fans will probably enjoy this even more because it is easily accessible and unique at the same time.
Tracklist
01. Genocidal Maniac (3:58)
02. Destruction/Restoration (2:34)
03. Indestructible Overdose (2:38)
04. Double Tap Suicide (4:40)
05. The Decider (3:45)
06. Exit Plan (3:19)
07. Oxygen Burn (4:05)
08. Accelerant (3:34)
09. Arch {Enemy} Misanthrope (5:05)
10. Manufactured Insomnia (2:49)
11. A Cold Devotion (2:47)
12. N.A.T.G.O.D. (3:22)
13. Terminal Now (2:29)
Line-up
Eyal Levi - Guitar, Keyboards
Emil Werstler - Guitar
Jeremy Creamer - Bass
Kevin Talley - Drums
Sean Zatorsky - Vocals
Website
http://www.myspace.com/daath
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
{jos_sb_discuss:19}
Comments powered by CComment