Disillusion "Back to Times of Splendor" CD
[Metal Blade]
Okay, I'm going to start off right away by stressing as vigorously as possible that this is by far the most exceptional album that Metal Blade has released in quite some time, and it's also without question one of the finest releases the label has in its entire catalog. I'm stunned that this is only the debut full-length from this German trio, as it seems they've been around for some time now, and what they're offering here is one hell of an impressive starting point. Six lengthy tracks in nearly an hour, amassing some of the most powerful music I've heard lately. To call it technical, atmospheric melodic death metal would be mildly accurate, but there's so much going on here that it can't be limited to any one or two genres without committing an injustice against its true mastery. The songs are long and contain an unbelievable number of complex changes, but the writing is structured amazingly fluidly and never once becomes disjointed or jarring. Musically expect flurried technical metal riffs, chunky chord progressions with that modern Scandinavian thrash sort of vibe (as well as a few that hit more rhythmic time signatures), scarce melodic Swedish harmonies or riffs of the absolute highest caliber, and vocals that shift from well enunciated midrange growls to excellent singing vocals with strong harmonies and arrangements. They may be a trio, but this is a studio record, so there are a shitload of layering and creative compositional tactics employed, and I can't imagine they could properly duplicate this live with three or even four people (and that's fine by me). Bass doesn't play a large role, but the drumming is solid and tends to stick with subtly intricate beats with a few flashier fills and accents when necessary, and tasteful smatterings of synths add to the songs expertly as well. And I'm not exaggerating when I emphatically state that the songwriting here is absolutely fucking brilliant. Almost always intensely melodic and forceful, familiar without being generic, innovative without shedding tradition, etc. And there are absolutely some progressive rock influences: Check out the piano and acoustic guitar break in "And the Mirror Cracked" with its distant sustained notes and interesting singing, somewhat akin to recent efforts from Porcupine Tree. And the introductory segment of "Fall" displays insanely amazing stuttered acoustic rhythm patterns and rocked out singing... just fucking awesome - this is the kind of thing Dream Theater tries so hard yet fails miserably to achieve! As is the case in a few tracks, songs feel "finished" and then start over almost from scratch (effectively), as in the 14-minute title track when midway through a bass break segues into solo passages trading between electric and acoustic guitars, followed by an Anathema-esque soft passage (think "Judgement"). "A Day by the Lake" provides Opeth similarities in the acoustic chords and lead lines, but the staccato riffing and fretless bass lends an entirely different side to it, while the massive 17-minute closer "The Sleep of Restless Hours" again opens with some excellent acoustics that certainly sound like something Opeth would've done at the time of "Morningrise". The bottom line is that these songs are technical and involved, with tons of truly creative riffing, but they're also catchy, which is an incredibly elusive balance to achieve... and these guys have mastered it without fault. I have no real issues with the recording, either. Everything sounds great and the mix is strong. If the bass could be a tad louder or the drums were ever so slightly more natural that would make it completely perfect, but it sounds exceptionally good already. All of the guitar tones are stellar (perfectly heavy and controlled on the distortion, or perfectly lush and beautiful on the acoustic side), and achieving a mix that lets all of these details show through is an impressive feat in and of itself. The keyboards are also amazingly well handled, better than most any other band who's going to use them to add some texture to their core instrumentation. The layout looks fairly good, with lots of blended imagery and textures that visually fit the tone of the music. I actually quite enjoy the crisp, cleanly arranged typefaces a lot as well. The lyrics are fairly abstract, you can get a picture of what's going on, but they're written a bit more poetically than most, which I like: "And thunders pound so hard, pound the drums of warfare, Hungry clouds draw closer with reptile teeth as lightning, Is it the fear of the inevitable that is keeping me awaiting? I am rigid as of reverence, still and enduring. I must have seen it coming..." I don't know what else to say about this one. It would take me several hours to try to detail all of the interesting little facets of this work. I had no idea I'd be so impressed with it, but I truly am. I haven't been this intrigued or excited about a release all year, and possibly not in the last two years. By far the best thing I've heard in 2004, and any metal fan would be foolish not to at least check this out. If you like progressive metal of any sort I cannot recommend this strongly enough. Listen for yourself and I'm sure you'll agree. I don't see this record getting much promotion and that is a grievous crime. Metal Blade really ought to be making this band a true priority. Wonderful, wonderful material here. I fucking love it. (10/10)
Running time - 56:47, Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: all six are seriously fucking awesome]
Metal Blade Records - http://www.metalblade.com

This review has been displayed 4705 times.