Darkane
Expanding Senses

THE REVIEW

If the entire metal scene today is quite under scrutiny, it's simply because only the most famous names continue while an infinite number of bands stop at their first album, or produce a series of titles that remain somewhat hidden and isolated.

It's evident from my profile that I enjoy reviewing very niche titles, metal artists that can be defined as B-list. It's known that the necessary tool to grab public attention is to create a good calling card, which consists of a Moniker, an Artwork, and a genre. The genre is the most important problem to address; certain artists attempt the impossible, combining gothic with death, filling in folk\black nuances, or they make fast power metal with heavy rhythms intertwined in rock canons, and so on. The result is almost always a collective slip from their own expectations; projects willingly escape from their creators' hands and often ridicule themselves.
There are those who think wisely, defining themselves as original without attempting the impossible and proposing something not too complicated, as we have heard everything in metal, and perhaps it's good to hear something more classic yet different at the same time. With this brief introduction, I don't want to say that Darkane aren't famous; indeed, they work for Nuclear Blast and have produced four albums between 1999 and 2005. Moreover, guitarist Klas Ideberg also plays in Terror 2000, bassist Jorgen Lofberg for The Defaced, and drummer Peter Wildoer for Time Requiem.

What I want to say is that I was pleased and satisfied with the genre they proposed, a very good and simple thrash metal that merges with the traditional good old Swedish death. It's not a very extreme violence, apart from particular tracks like 'Fatal Impact' which is a drum barrage alternated with a mystical chorus. The violence they intended is measured within certain limits, softened in a way that allows melodic riffing to connect, also fought through keyboards. I like the voice, it is not a screech, not a Growl, but a middle ground between a shrill hard rocker scream and a dark prophetic Death metal volume, also contained hence, able to create melodic and versatile lines in the destructive background of heavy guitar and drums.
Soilwork and Testament are names that can give you an idea of what we are dealing with, and the song "Innocence Gone" is a good result of this semi-progressive, melodic and aggression-filled thrash metal, especially in the drum interventions, manifesting clear, clean, and melodic solos in instrumental pieces, always keeping the dark and crazy soul alive. Technical play with synchronized intervals and a slightly darker voice compose 'Solitary Confinement', powerful, granite and destructive, with many noises and scattered moans in the background, crazy solos and a powerful, angry chorus.

The most striking songwriting is that of the experimental 'Imaginary Entity', very Slayer-like, powerful as a kick to the groin, and full of interesting points such as the presence of strange keyboard chords covered by guitar smashing, sudden rhythm changes, and particular vocal shifts. Certain songs like 'Violence From Within' have a peculiar malicious singable air while 'The Fear Of One’s Self' are classic pieces of healthy and violent thrash.
Another interesting track is 'The Fear Of One’s Sel', with a heavily cadenced rhythm supported by pumping backgrounds of dark keyboard, while the most melodic song is the concluding 'Submission', spectacular, violent, aggressive, but very melodic and dark, introduced by drum percussion and ending with radio interference.

Moral: an interesting project for the style it is composed of, for what it aims to represent, and for what it manifests; I don't believe it will disappoint the expectations of thrash metal lovers, but if they have Slayer, Sodom, and the like for breakfast, they might not absorb anything innovative except a notable departure from classicism.