Submerging into the Dark Light
This is the
third album of Mexican band Light of Dark. Unfortunately I didn’t hear two
previous releases, but I think it is not a handicap in this case. A look-over on the front cover and album’s
title and everything is clear – death metal or how the band probably call this
– brutal death metal. Less clear is the matter of length of the songs and I was
terrified a bit seeing running time on my cd player: 55 minutes! All right,
after two minutes of unnecessary introduction, the first tunes of music
storming my mind. Storm, it is good word describing all I can hear. This track
“Unnatural Criminals” is a good omen of music to come and on this track I can
built almost whole review: the music of Light of Dark is a mix of unmerciful riffs
and drum blasts supported by inhuman (but rather typical for that genre)
growling. There is no time for sonic serenity, and the massacre lasts over six
minutes.
The hard
fact is that these Mexican worshippers of brutality don’t propose originality. The
second obvious thing for me is where I can search musical influences for them.
One short word: Brazil and practically two bands coming to my mind – Krisiun
and Rebaelliun. Light of Dark enrolls on the list of such intense, blasphemous
death metal, of course it is not the same level like these two legendary bands
but they have ability to conquer the second league. The main problem with this
recording is the length of the album mentioned above. And really I do not know
what reason determined them to record such long death metal beasts. Even
comparing to the Brazilian masters, you won’t find there monstrous tracks like
e.g. “Mother Death” lasting over eight minutes. The band cannot fight with
boredom during such long songs (also “Patient Zero”) and this is the main blame
of Mexican work.
Yes, I
wrote about one gross mistake and that’s all about the bad side of the album. And
I have to write that good things rather tip the scales. I have to praise very
good production, especially drums with killing and crushing sound. About riffs:
nothing new here I can hear, guitarists try to enrich song structures by adding
some minimal easier ‘melodies’ and first thirty seconds of the title track remind
me of mighty old Dismember. I wrote above about length of the songs and not
always musicians can manage to catch attention of listener (title track, and
two longest ones). Also I would like to hear more guitar solos, of course there
are some, but nothing special I think. It is very hard to choose the best song
(with bad ones – there’s no problem), maybe two last killers: “Blasphemy Chaos
Destruction” with quite memorable guitar work and the last one on the album
“Dead Children Cry” which I can put it into Krisiun discography – no noticeable
difference. Quite interesting is also “Electronic Voice Phenomena” – the
slowest, with varied kind of vocals, marching powerful riffs and two guitar
solos (I think the best on the album) and superb Minos performance. This is
like a brake in hurricane of ruthless riffs and blasts, just like similar
operation on Reballiun’s debut (“Flagellation of Christ”). So, what is my
advice for the band? For sure: decrease the length of songs (maximum to six
minutes), add more guitar solos and get rid of useless intro (I would like to
listen to instrumental track – only guitars and drums) – optimal time for metal
album with such intense music is about forty minutes. It is obvious that with
no intro and two longest songs, this album would get a better mark.
To sum all
the things up, I recommend this stuff for brutal metalheads. I think it is a
good music for disciples of Brazilian school of death metal with bands I
mentioned just above. You won’t find here originality or twisted, broken and
complex structures, but only pure metal of death in the vein of Brazilian
masters. That’s enough to listen to these Mexicans.
70/100
-Tlacaxipehualiztli
(previously written for Encyclopaedia Metallum, on November, 2011, now modified a bit)
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