2006-10-23
Sometimes a mix of certain extreme metal genres results in an incomprehensible mess, but in very rare cases, genre leaping bands manage to pull it off and create something which is more than the sum of its parts. Poland's Darzamat are one example, the band's latest effort - "Transkarpatia" - is a combination of black metal, death metal and Goth, yet it comes off as a complete and awe inspiring release that should satisfy fans of all three genres while drawing in others as well.
The album opens with the requisite orchestral intro and then rips into one of the fastest and heaviest track here, "Vampiric Prose", which combines black metal riffing and male vocals with the strong Goth vocals of his female counterpart, the sound, by
King Diamond guitarist and uber-producer Andy La Rocque is excellent, the chorus is catchy and Goth-metal like, it all works perfectly.
"The Burning Times" makes excellent use of the female vocals; again, though it contains several styles that fluctuate within the track, it doesn’t sound contrived or messy. The lead section with spoken text is just plain impressive.
I guess this album will probably sit in well especially with
COF fans, but I think it doesn’t smell of commercialism as COF does, it still retains originality without groveling to anyone. Even in the Gothic sounding "Letter From hell", with an industrial tinge, the sensual female vocals, spoken by a soft Polish accent, it makes sense, and it has a dark foreboding feeling that makes it work. Songs like "Recurring Hell" play on a somewhat progressive element; the band pulls it off, again.
I can't stress enough the quality this release possesses, something here just clicks and it's easily one of the best black/Goth albums I've heard in recent years, everyone should check them out.
Alon Miasnikov
