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Visualizzazione post con etichetta Dark Fortress. Mostra tutti i post
Visualizzazione post con etichetta Dark Fortress. Mostra tutti i post

lunedì 18 gennaio 2021

Dark Fortress - Spectres From the Old World

#FOR FANS OF: Atmospheric Black Metal
I prefer 'Eidolon' over this one, but I still think this album is pretty good. The synthesizers make the music darker and the music is pretty intense. Initially, I didn't care for this one, but I still give it a "B-". I think that the music itself isn't the greatest, but at least the intensity is high. That's what's good about it. The riffs are pretty fast and the drums are powerful. I liked the whole album, though again it's not my favorite. The vocals are pretty decent as well. They meshed well with the music. Not every song on here is super fast, but it's good that they change it up. Some clean vocals and guitar as well, it's not ALL brutality.

The guitars are my favorite highlights of this album. I like the riffs on here the most, the vocals are just mediocre. But whatever, they put together a great release (with some drawbacks). When they're on their game here on some songs, they really hit home! With this it's hit-or-miss. The double bass is pretty hardcore, too. Never knew this band is from Germany. Pretty cool. I like what I've heard so far from the band, though this one could be tighter. I suppose 'Eidolon' was tighter because every song was killer. And the atmosphere too was great. This one falls short in the riff category.

The production was pretty decent on here opposed to previous releases. As I say, the songs just needed to be more interwoven. They did a good job on some fronts, though I think if they did better with the songwriting I would've given them a higher rating. The tempos were up and down, but that's not necessarily bad. If they could've gotten better guitar riffs or at least more consistent guitar work then it would've been a stronger rating by me. The fact that the tempos are all over the place makes it harder to get into. Sounds a lot like progressive atmospheric black metal here. The the actual genre is melodic black metal.

I would say to check this out on digital rather than buying the album since it's hit-or-miss. Their earlier stuff, sure but this one needs an acquired taste to liking it. It still is decent and the riffs are OK. But in any case it's a strong album. Very experimental with sounds, guitars, and songwriting. Not my favorite album of theirs just a little better than average. The guitars are definitely my favorite parts to the album, but I think as a whole they put together a somewhat tight release here. I think that at least they were good in making a somewhat progressive album though they could've made it tighter. In any case, take a listen! (Death8699)


(Century Media - 2020)
Voto: 70

https://www.facebook.com/officialdarkfortress

giovedì 5 luglio 2018

Dark Fortress - Séance

BACK IN TIME:
#PER CHI AMA: Black, Satyricon, Mayhem
Quando ascoltai la prima volta questo disco pensai fosse la nuova band di Attila Csihar? Mi sorse questo dubbio perchè il vocalist della band tedesca, assoldata dalla Century Media, aveva la voce che somigliava a quella del frontman dei Mayhem. E mentre fino al precedente lavoro, proprio a questi ultimi si avvicinava il sound del combo tedesco, con 'Séance' la band teutonica propone un black di difficile catalogazione: dieci lunghe songs che viaggiano su mid-tempo, atmosferiche, dalle tinte malinconico-depressive a tratti, graffianti e gelide come il black old school in altri momenti. Le tastiere sono abili nel creare un’aura oscura attorno a tutto l’album; violini sinistri dominano la scena in “While They Sleep”, mentre le chitarre e la voce di Azathoth contribuiscono a donare desolanti e tenebrose ambientazioni che rendono 'Séance' un lavoro molto interessante pur essendo questo disco del 2006. Il gruppo tedesco fu abile nel coniugare alcuni elementi sinfonici dei primi Dimmu Borgir, con altri presi in prestito dai più recenti Mayhem e Satyricon: il risultato che ne viene fuori è un sound pesante e decisamente cupo. Interessanti sono gli interludi acustici che servono a spezzare le sfuriate black, così come inaspettati sono alcuni ottimi assoli che completano le songs. Bellissima “Shardfigures”, nona traccia dalle fosche tinte invernali, con quel suo riff di chitarra che richiama i primi lavori di Burzum ed uno spettacolare assolo di chitarra acustica, da pelle d’oca, davvero il miglior episodio dell’intero album. Anche a distanza di oltre 10 anni, 'Séance' non si rivela come un album di facile presa, ma ripetuti ascolti vi permetteranno di apprezzare al meglio questo lavoro. Spalanchiamo le porte al gelo dell’Oscura Fortezza. (Francesco Scarci)

(Century Media - 2006)
Voto: 75

https://www.facebook.com/officialdarkfortress