After a strong debut EP here's the first full-length from this Danish band, strangely enough compliments of a Japanese label. This is not unlike their EP in its delivery of precise melodic black metal, but I'm somewhat disappointed that this time they do in fact sound a bit unoriginal to me. Where I expected the EP to sound like Cradle of Filth and it didn't, this record sort of does... it's just a bit more aggressive and the vocals aren't as obnoxious. But a lot of the riffing, and especially the high vocal snarls are total Cradle of Filth ripoffs. It's a shame, because they've got more interesting elements at work that they should be exploring instead. For instance the dual guitar harmonies tend to be very well put together, the lead playing is fucking awesome, the sparse use of female singing is cool... I don't know. I just like the slightly progressive edge and the traditional metal vibe mixing with black metal better than the generic gothy mess. I'm not sure what they were going for, but the songwriting has become less memorable as a result, and it's really a shame. The production sadly suffers from some of the same problems that it did in the past: There's a lack of bass in the mix and the drums are entirely too rigid and clicky. The vocals, synths, and guitars sound fairly full and textured, but they really need to crank the bass and work with warmer drum tones to pull this stuff off, because there are too many spacious holes in the mix and it makes the final product fall short. The layout is also not unlike their last record in that it depicts a somewhat artsy and gothic display of imagery that revolves around a female figure on the cover and elsewhere in the layout. It again looks highly professional and catches the eye, so that's good. The band photos aren't quite as cheesy as last time, but they have used up a lot of space on large individual band shots as well as a group photo (complete with mesh clothing, spiked neck and armbands, etc.), so I would've liked to see more of the artwork instead. Some of the lyrics are typical, and none of them really interest me, but for this style of music I like what they're doing, because it's not always as cheesy as a lot of these bands tend to be, and there are some good lines here and there. "Society's wars mean little to me, I have my pleasures, I have my affairs, My own agendas are impossible to see, Before you find yourself exposed in my lair, I sting and stain your insane soul, I sting where it is fatal, You won't feel a thing at all, Unless you cause my house of cards to fall..." I wouldn't say this is a step backwards from what they had going for them before, but this is not at all where I expected them to be after a year of working on new material. I think that fans of this style would still be into this because the band does have more to offer than most, but they're still capable of better. They haven't advanced at all, and that's what disappoints me the most.
[World Chaos]
Running time - 39:33, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: The Creator's Biggest Pride, By the Hands of Violent Winter]
Illnath - http://www.illnath.dk
