Dusk "Jahilia" CD
[Epidemie]
I think this is the first band I've ever heard from Pakistan, and they play an atmospheric style of metal that has some progressive leanings without being too technical. The vocals are all over the place from whispered moments and growls to slight hints of singing, and the music is equally scattered from slower chord progressions or slick harmonies to complex lead flurries and typically stuttered progressive influenced runs - complete with orchestral keyboards and some electronic elements. The songwriting could be stronger as the tracks sometimes change so frequently that there's no continuity from riff to riff, but they do break out some expertly arranged solos and a few powerful melodies. I think the vocals are sort of bland, I'm not into the growling or whispering, I wish they'd use some actual singing that would fit the music instead. The other thing I don't like are some of the groovy rhythms. They're done in a progressive style, but you know how it goes... when quirky progressive bands do that stuff it just sounds like they're trying too hard to sound "heavy". It's not their strong point so they shouldn't bother with it. I think the drums are programmed and do sound a little thin, but were they mixed lower it wouldn't be a problem. They do keep the performance from sounding overly mechanical, which is a nice touch. Really, aside from a few rhythm guitar tones that sound too fuzzy and digital, the recording is fine aside from mixing issues. There's a lot of layering and most every element does its own thing, so they really need a clearer mix that keeps the instrumentation closely knit without any gaps where details can cave in and get lost. I really don't care for most of the rhythm guitar tones, and the percussion is too loud, but the solos sound fucking amazing, and I absolutely love the pristinely defined bass tone (if only it were more dominant). They seem to have a good grasp of where they need to be, they're just not there yet. Visually the layout is a little cluttered with different colors and collaged imagery, but it does look consistent. Portions I like, portions I think need some work, but all in all it's okay. The lyrics are sort of strange, but they seem to be somewhat bleak and often reference nature: "Father sky your ruthlessness is ancient, Unbearable to the legions of grace, The broken glass in the corridor of centuries is the only witness to the funeral of the world..." There's a CD-Rom portion of the disc with a mini website thing on it that has a bio and some photos as well as a video for a non-album track called "Returning", but the video wouldn't play for me. This is a pretty unique case because, truth be told, I don't like this CD that much. Generally I'm just not that into this style, and I don't enjoy these songs a great deal because for every riff I like there's another that I don't. However, I think the music is well performed and shows a certain competency that could yield excellent results with further progression, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best. (6/10)
Running time - 41:46, Tracks: 8
[Notable tracks: Night Bulb Angel, Translucence]
Epidemie Records - http://www.epidemie.cz

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