THE RETURN TO DARKNESS

If there's one metal scene that truly impressed me in 2010, it was definitely the Indian extreme metal explosion. Even though other countries such as Sweden, America, and England had plenty of high-profile exports, it's amazing how many overlooked gems came out of India this year. Of all the terrific metal releases coming from the nation, Demonic Resurrection's The Return to Darkness may very well be the best. The highly progressive approach, technical playing style, and incorporation of melody make The Return to Darkness a journey worth experiencing. Demonic Resurrection's third full-length album is excellent in almost every sense of the word. If you like progressive death metal, please don't miss out on this one.

Demonic Resurrection plays a highly technical and progressive, yet still melodic, style of black/death metal. The main influences I hear when listening to Demonic Resurrection are Opeth, Edge of Sanity, Enslaved, and Emperor, albeit more synth-laden than any of these bands. Demonic Resurrection has a distinct and recognizable sound that's clear on all of The Return to Darkness. Every song is very memorable, featuring melodic hooks and true brutality. This is just one of those albums that keep you coming back for more and more. Of all the tracks here, the highlights are "Where Dreams and Darkness Unite", "A Tragedy Befallen", "Bound by Blood, Fire, and Stone", the very progressive "Lord of Pestilence", "The Final Stand", and the epic conclusion "Omega, I". I mentioned over half of the album as highlights, which just proves how excellent the music is. All of the other songs are still far above average, but not quite masterpieces such as the aforementioned tracks. Aside from the fantastic compositions, another highlight about Demonic Resurrection is the talent of its musicians. The highly technical guitar riffing and complex drum patterns provide just the right amount of heaviness, while Mephisto's keyboards provide a spot-on sense of atmosphere. The vocals from Sahil "The Demonstealer" Makhija are also noteworthy - he actually masters many different vocal styles, whether it is deep guttural growls, black metal sneers, or clean singing. As a whole, the execution and compositional talent of Demonic Resurrection is top-notch.

The production sounds great. Although it may be a bit too "over-produced" and synthetic for some people, I personally think it sounds great.

The Return to Darkness is an absolutely fantastic album by Demonic Resurrection, and is a fitting end to their Darkness trilogy. If you like progressive death metal with melodic and technical twists, this is an essential 2010 album. I didn't know what to expect when I received this album, but I can now confidently say that it was one of the best metal releases this year. I'm going to hand out 4 shiny ones for this superb effort. Long live Indian death metal!