DAATH

I literally had never heard of these guys until this album came along. From reading magazines like Metal Hammer and Total Guitar, I saw that this album was getting alot of positive feedback, which to be honest, in today's metal climate, isnt the easiest thing to do. I saw this album in my local HMV, so I thought, "meh, whats the worst that could happen". And this album is an example of a risk that brings forth only the greatest positives.

I think the reason why I like this band, and love this album so much is because "THEIR IS ACTUAL SONGS ON IT." The one thing that annoys me about modern death metal is that the actual art of songwriting seems to be gone. It justs seems to be a big penis envy competition to see how heavy a band could get, yet most bands lack the actual depth to write songs. Luckily these guys can actually do that.

In their last album I reviewed "The Concealers" (2009), I was pondering why these guys are considered a "prog" death band, and now I can kind of see why, especially with this album. These guys are able to craft quite complicated and intricate songs without them being too lengthy, too disfragmented and to the point. These guys are able to do that, and also they can make each song as unique as possible, which is a very hard thing for bands to do these days.

The sound these guys make is pretty epic. The album is produced incredibly well, in fact, if your looking for an example of a wee produced album, this is it. The album was produced by James Murphy, who you may remember from such bands as DEATH! and OBITUARY! (classic death metal bands), and he even does a guitar solo on the album. The album was also on Roadrunner...and I do admit, they may not handle bands too well, but when it comes to producing an album, they'll make sure it sounds as perfect as it should be.

Musically, it really is a marvel. It takes the death metal sound, adds the proggy edges, adds a heap load of darkness and gloom, and cuts it down to such a easily listenable album (well it's death metal...it's not exactly Simply Red). Their is also alot of experimentation within the album, like industrial influences, electronica and prog influences. Other than that, its an extreme metal fest. The songs themselves are some of the catchiest and most kick ass death metal songs I have heard in a very long time.

The vocals are also the best death metal vocals I have heard in a long time. Why Sean Farber left the band I'll never know, but whatever he;s doing now, and if he's in a band...I want to find out what he's up too. Lyrically the album is really interesting, dealing with existentionalism topics and some really dark and interesting philosphies. Overall, the lyrics add a dark and dank skin over this egg of absolute murky epicness.

1. Subterfuge - Great start to the album. Such an amazing song, with a killer chorus. The wists and turns really add to the atmosphere of the song. 10/10

2. From The Blind - Has quite a Carcass vibe to it. Love the instrumental section in the middle. How Sean dictates his vocals really is an amazing triumph. 10/10

3. Comsuc Forge - Love the use of keyboards in this song. The odd dark melodic chorus is really killer. A dark dank mother of a song. 10/10

4. Sightless - Has such a killer riff in the song. The chorus is pretty cool too. The vocals as usual are amazing. Their is also a pretty cool Alien like music video to this song. 10/10

5. Under A Somber Sign - One of the most melodic songs on the album. Still incredibly dark and breathtaking. 10/10

6. Ovum - My favourite song on the album. Jesus I love this song so much. The vocals give me chills every time I hear it. Such an amazing chorus. If you haven't heard this song, please listen to it, it really is an underlooked death metal classic. 10/10

7. Festival Mass Soulform - Great chorus. Such a dark epic song. Love the lyrics too. 10/10

8. Above Lucium - Some incredibly heavy riffs in this song. A very heavy mother of a song. Great arrangement. This also has one of the best chorus' on the album. 10/10

9. Who Will Take The Blame? - Love the use of electronics and keyboards on this song. Grea diverse vocals. Their is also a pretty cool guitar solo from James Murphy (DEATH METALLLLL) - 10/10

10. War Born (Tri-adverserenade) - Such a fast, brutal and quick song. It's gone in the blink of an eye, and you really will end up missing it. 9/10

11. Dead On The Dance Floor - I love how this song, which you may think is a dance song, turns into an epic death metal song. The 2 styles are mixed incredibly well and don't really feel forced. The lyrics are funny too. Great chorus as well. 10/10

12. Blessed Through Misery - Love the raspy vocals. A very doomy and gloomy song. 7/10

13. The Hinderers - Love the intro to this song. Such an epic way to end the album. Great use of atmosphere and the ending with the timpani and keys really adds to the epic feel of the song. 9/10

CONCLUSION: This album reminds me of another album released around the same time this album was release, which is Scar Symmetry's Pitch Black Progress. It came from nowhere, I got it as a dare, and now the album has become one of my all time favourites. This is probabbly one of the best death metal albums released in a long time and really is one of the best metal albums to really blow me away and stay in my memory for such a long time. I really suggest you listen to this album, because it really is bringing back great death metal. I LOVE THIS ALBUM.

9.2/10

When bands loose members, it usually means that a band has to either try and maintain whatever the band did before, or change to suit their new blood. This album see's a big change from their earlier line up, as their vocalist and keyboardist left. Now with the keyboardist, they just decided to continue on without one, which is a shame because I really loved how keyboards was used in their previous album. Now a new vocalist for a band can really make a big change, because really, the vocalist is the voice of the band. Now I did prefer Sean Farber as a vocalist, but the new vocalist isn't too bad. In fact their a certain aspects of his voice in which I prefer, especially his delivery, which is really impressive. The band also saw a change in record companies from Roadrunner to Century Media, and I'm glad that they did this, cause Roadrunner have seem to really have been dicking with bands in the past.

Now due to a slight change in sound, the band really had to embrace what they can and could not do. Now this album is more compactiable than their other releases, which can either be a good or bad thing, and to me this a good thing. People may have seen their previous album as a bit overbearing, this one is more compactable.

Now talking about the sound of the album, the best way I can put these guys is accessible death metal. It's not too extreme throughout, it's melodic at times and it still maintains the death metal elements, but has its own uniqueness which makes it really easily listenable to any death metal fan.

Now I did say that this is accesible, but even then, this album is pretty indulgent too. The album starts off with your standard death metal songs, but as the album progresses, the songs get more expiermental, with alot of difference in arrangements, sounds and songs, yet it's still pulled off to be seen as very accesible.

The only negative aspects of the album is that the songs dont sound as fillfilled as their earlier stuff. This may be due to the loss of keyboards, but even the production is pretty standard, and isnt too over the top, which really made the last album stand out more.

1. Sharpen The Blades - Great way to start the album. Great catchy hook. You'll be humming this for a whilst I bet. 9/10

2. Self-Corruption Mainfesto - Another great chorus (don't worry, this album is full of these). Nice Lamb Of God like grooves throughout the song. 8/10

3. The Worthless - I remember this was the first song I had heard from this album, and it kind of suprised me, cause I wasn't even aware they had a new album coming out. So really this song was a test of vocalists. And after this song, Sean Z. had passed the test. This is one epic song. Really killer intro, with some great riffs and vocals throughout the song. Best song on the album. 10/10

4. The Unbinding Truth - Great instrumental parts, mainly due to the fact that the instrumental sections are the main focus on the song. Interesting arrangement, making it one of their most diverse songs. 9/10

5. Silenced - Love the blast beats in the intro. Pretty cool main riff. Nice vocals. Great chorus too. 8/10

6. Wilting On The Vine - One of the most diverse songs on the album. Great vocals and a really killer chorus. Some great guitar work too. 10/10

7. Translucent Potency - Nice expanded intro, which reminds me of an epic Enslaved song. One of the most extreme songs on the album, with a nice odd arrangement. 9/10

8. Day Of Endless Light - Another quite extreme moment on the album. Nice chorus and some pretty cool riffs too. 7/10

9. Duststorm - Nice evil techno interlude. 7/10

10. ...Of Posioned Shadows - Nice evil eerie techno carnival intro. I like the dancey rhythms in the song, which shows a great mixture of styles. Nice expanded outro. 8/10

11. Incestuous Amplification - Great fast paced outro. Impressive vocals. A great ending to the album. 9/10

CONCLUSION: All in all, this is a pretty strong release. I don't think it's as good as their previous album, but to be honest, it is different, which I like. These guys have a new album out now, and I can't wait to hear it, cause this has made me excited again for the future of this band.

7.2/10

Although many bands choose to self-title their debut and then proceed to use more particular names for following efforts, American metal act Dååth has waited six years since their first album to make this statement. For those who haven't heard this band, their sound seems to rest within some amalgamation of extreme metal sub-genres. Throughout the course of their music, the spectrum seems to be covered, ranging from the brutality of death metal, to the speed of thrash, with noticeable portions of metalcore and industrial metal thrown in to create a brand of metal that's difficult to place under any single label. As a newcomer to the music of this band, I am aware of the stigma and criticism the band seems to have acquired from previous work, for being apparently too 'mainstream' and 'weak.' If any of this criticism is indeed merited for earlier work, then Dååth seems to have created an album that will hopefully challenge the preconceptions of listeners who think them unworthy.

At times progressive, other times subtle, and generally interesting throughout it's course, 'Dååth' is an album that runs virtually seamlessly from one track to the next- especially during the stronger first half- that gives the impression of this album being a cohesive work, as opposed to a mere collection of songs. Opening with the ambitiously titled 'Genocidal Maniac,' the album very quickly goes to show the band's marriage of technical ability and melodic sensibility. After an atmospheric introduction led by the guitar leads of Emil Werstler, the music sporadically breaks into a tight rhythm section, now dominated by the metalcore-derived vocals of Sean Zatorsky, a growler who shows some strong signs in parts during the album, but whose rasp doesn't work well for every section he takes part in.

The second track 'Destruction/Restoration' kicks in without any pause, making it possible for a listener not to even realize the track has changed. The heavy, technical music is interspersed throughout the album with a few sparse mellow sections, which while rare on 'Dååth,' contribute a great deal. 'Indestructible Overdose' for example, opens with a little electronic, classically baroque leaning introduction before being starkly contrasted with the metal. Later on in the track, all heaviness abates to make way for a pleasant acoustic interlude. While the dynamic starts to wane during the second half, it is these little details in the music that makes it all the better.

In general, the album sadly begins to start loosing the great sense of flow and composition by the time 'Exit Plan' rolls around. With this track, I can see why the band might get criticism; the chorus in particular reeks of pseudo-brutality, as if the band is trying too hard to sound 'hardcore.' Making ample use of the 'chug-chug' guitar work, and largely ineffective (and therefore unnecessary) use of profanities, the straightforward and somewhat lackluster nature of this track does contrast the intelligent and complex sound that other songs on 'Dååth' seem to have aspired to.

With that being said, 'Dååth' is a very promising album by this American band, but it is inconsistent; a mixed bag of the excellent and mediocre. This self-titled work will no doubt however, serve to have a few haters questioning their beliefs while listening to some of the better work on this album. Personally, this has been a positive introduction to this band, and I will go on to explore the rest of Dååth's catalogue in the months to come.

Sharpen the Blades - 9/10 Self-Corruption Manifesto - 7/10 The Worthless - 9/10 The Unbinding Truth - 7/10 Silenced - 7/10 Wilting on the Vine - 8/10 Translucent Potency - 8/10 Day of Endless Light - 8/10 Duststorm - 7/10 ...of Poisoned Sorrows - 7/10 Incestuous Amplification - 9/10

My Conclusion? They have lost a lot of their proggyness but still a decent effort.

Subterfuge - 9/10 From the Blind - 8/10 Cosmic Forge - 8/10 Sightless - 8/10 Under a Somber Sign - 9/10 Ovum - 9/10 Festival Mass Soulform - 8/10 Above Lucium - 8/10 Who Will Take the Blame- 8/10 War Born (Tri-Adverserenade) - 7/10 Dead on the Dancefloor - 8/10 Blessed Through Misery - 8/10 The Hinderers - 8/10

My Conclusion? This is a great mix of extreme prog and industrial grooves that is recomended for both fans of metal and prog who like something heavier.

Their blend of some Gothenburg scene death metal, techno, some black metal, US death metal and industrial metal gives the tracks on this album plenty of air and life. The music is not as compact as normal death metal. The techno and industrial metal stuff here is really good. My only gripe is that I wish the music was harder and more brutal. I am not a fan of this Gothenburg death metal scene. I think this scene is far too melodic. But I can see why this band has their fans. They have even thrown in some melodic guitar solos on this album.

It would be unfair to single out any of the tracks here. The quality is generally good and this is one of the better alternative death metal albums around. Daath is duly noted in my book of good guys.

3 stars

The music is riff based heavy metal/ death metal with processed growling vocals. I´m reminded of a mix between Chimaira when the music is at its most crushingly heavy and Dark Tranquillity when the use of keyboards give the music a semi progressive sound. There are also some industrial influences in the music. The music on The Hinderers is a slight improvement over the music on the debut Futility (2004) which I found weak and generic ( this could be caused by the much better production though). The musicianship is excellent on the album but I still think the music is rather generic and simple. So overall I find the album very mediocre. None of the tracks stand out as being above average for the genre but on the other hand none are below standard either, so that´s always something. Progressive elements? Well let´s say others obviously hear something different than I do because I hear next to none ( therefore the semi-progressive label above). The level of innovation is non-existent IMO. Now I don´t rate albums in degrees of progressive behaviour but even for heavy metal/ death metal standards this is a mediocre product that simply doesn´t have any impact on me. What bothers me the most is that a major metal label like Roadrunner Records keeps signing these mediocre bands. They used to be the leaders of the pack. I guess that title goes to Relapse Records at the moment.

The most prolific member of the band is without a doubt drummer Kevin Talley who has played with acts such as Soils of Fate, Misery Index, Decrepit Birth, The Red Chord, Dying Fetus, M.O.D., Chimaira, Dark Days, The Black Dahlia Murder, Cattle Decapitation, All The Way To The Bank and Nothnegal. His performance on this album is excellent and really helps increase the level of enjoyment for me. And that is much needed here.

The production is excellent. Clean and powerful.

From my review it´s not hard to guess that I don´t enjoy The Hinderers much. It leaves me totally indifferent but honouring my own principles of rating I will still rate the album with 3 small stars. This is a very professional product. Well performed, very well produced and well written ( well that´s an aquired taste but still), so I can´t rate it with less even though it gives me almost zero enjoyment. I can´t recommend this album if you´re looking for new and innovative music but if you´re content with a crushingly heavy and rather polished modern heavy metal/ death metal album this might suit your taste.

But finally I've found something that, while still extreme and pretty noisy, has all those elements I was missing from many other bands. Atlanta's DAATH is a true example of pushing the music to the limits without pushing it entirely out of bounds.

The first thing I noticed about the sound of this album, "The Hinderers", is how the synthesizers are actually an integral part of the band's extreme sound. DAATH plays a singular style of progressive death-metal with industrial elements and the keyboards are not just a gimmick or a background- enhancement-tool as in many other groups. In DAATH, the keys add to the actual metal effect, helping the guitars in building the wall of sound instead of just being used only for chords behind the main riffs. The keys collaborate with the guitars in the riff department from time to time, when they're not being played with industrial-mechanized effects. All of this adds a distinct flavor to the music. It sounds heavy, extreme, but also modern.

The vocals here are ever changing. Clean singing isn't to be found here, and most of the time what we have is a hybrid of death metal's classical low-pitched growling with black metal's typical high-pitched vocals. The voice kind of fluctuates between the two, going up and down depending on the needs of the music. It doesn't feel like a gimmick, but even better (especially for me), it adds something to the music. It's not brutal screaming for the sake of screaming. It's not anger; it's just another integral element of the music.

The album's songs are short and concise, but never feel devoid of ideas like in other bands. The length of the tracks doesn't come from the speed at what they're played or from how much the performers want to show-off their skills, but from the actual needs of every composition. The structures are never too complicated, and when all that had to be said has been said, it's over. Time to start another song.

The music has melody, for a change. And very atmospheric. At moments it has strong influences from the Swedish school of death metal, especially from the more melodic bands like SOILWORK or DARK TRANQUILITY. At the same time, there are influences from the brutal death metal scene, and I heard some hints of NILE in these songs, with some oriental/Egyptian/Hebrew-style riffs here and there, something which maybe shouldn't surprise us as the band's name itself comes from the Hebrew language, and also as it has been said that the members take a lot of influences from Da'at and Kabbalah. The music has also a very deep industrial influence as mentioned before, bordering in electronica for just a few moments in the album.

The musicianship is top-notch. I've discussed the singer and the keys already, but the rest of the band members also help drive this opus home. The album has three drummers and, it's safe to say, all of them are very skilled, playing a very similar style, with emphasis in the double bass drums, though that doesn't mean they don't have to time to more delicate drumming, like in the opening of "Who Will Take The Blame?" The guitars are very technical, also, and, unlike other extreme albums of late, have room here to express melodic ideas and even to solo every now and then.

All in all, an excellent sophomore release by DAATH, a band that shows extreme potential to create even better music. As of right now, it's one of the better technical-death-prog-metal albums I've heard this year, and I recommend it very strongly to fans of the genre.

The music is death metal with lots of modern influences from especially the metalcore genre but definitely also from the Swedish Götenburg sound that bands like Soilwork and In Flames have made famous. A band like Chimaira comes to mind several times when listening to Futility. The vocals are processed most of the times and it sounds terrible if you ask me. Angela Nathalie Gossow from Arc Enemy comes to mind as she has a similar processed growling style. I have nothing against processed vocals but sadly most processed vocals are badly produced which takes away the power an aggressive vocal is meant to deliver and that is exactly what happens on Futility. There are a few parts with clean vocals in a song like Slow and there are also some acoustic guitar for variation, but that is the only time Daath strays from the formula of heavy riffing and machine like sounds. I almost forgot to mention that Daath has also listened to lots of Fear Factory.

The musicians are pretty good, but with music as generic as this, it´s hard to enjoy.

The production is awful. The click track on the drums are badly produced and as a whole the sound quality fails in every way possible.

Is this a 1 star album then ? I´ll be very nice and give this album 2 stars because there are a few parts here and there where I want to bang my head, but progressive this is not. Innovative then ? That would be a big NO too. If you want to hear something that sounds a bit like this but is much more enjoyable try the Swedish band Dark Tranquility instead. Personally I would really like to give this 1 star but the quality is too high though and I can´t break my own criteria. Not recommendable.