Dactylis Glomerata - Candlemass

Advantages: New melodic style, interesting ideas
Disadvantages: Doesn't go very far with those ideas

...Well I finally got hold of a copy since hearing 'The Storm I Ride' on a Metal Hammer compilation. Wasn't ever an Immortal fan, just not interesting or melodic enough for me, but I is a different thing altogether... The first thing I thought was "Hmm, Candlemass", although with more growly vocals than Messiah Marcolin's excellent falsetto efforts, but this isn't Candlemass. It's similar, but without the variation and flair of the Swedish Doom-metal masters. The guitars are ultra-crunchy, swirling, closely harmonized and only leave off their circular-saw impressions for some blistering clean solos. Very nice, but a bit of a one-trick pony. After 'The Storm I Ride' everything else just sounds like they had one idea and tried to stretch it to an album. It's a good idea but needs to go somewhere! That's not quite true though, because... Read review

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Advantages: Innovatively harsh-sounding, and effectively violent.
Disadvantages: Too aggressive at cost to creativity.

.... The lengthy 'Finger Paintings of the Insane' is even better, featuring some plodding, doomy sections that sound a lot like Candlemass, and based around some very half-hearted lead melodies that play a little bit of an Egyptian theme, but then can't be bothered. It's cool, and Kyle's drumming is used sparingly and ominously in the slower sections to create a great atmosphere; the only problem is the slightly muted vocal performance towards the end, which sounds like it might be rap (and there was me claiming proudly that I didn't own any), but might just as easily be Riggs mumbling on about something or other. The listener really isn't supposed to be paying attention by now, as whatever they're smoking makes them more concerned with flying, or whatever those drugs make people do. Perhaps my favourite song is oddly the biggest diversion of the whole... Read review

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