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By Night
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Burn The Flags
Lifeforce Records
Release: 2/22/2005
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Rated:
Review by:
Morley Seaver
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By Night is an extreme metal band from (where else?) Sweden,
Falkenberg to be exact. They have all the right elements for
the genre: brutal vocals, aggressive guitars, and energy to
burn. However, they also have a fair shot of
melody.
The band is made up of Adrian Westin (vocals), Andre
Gonzales (guitar), Henrik Persson (bass), Simon Wien
(guitars), and Per Qvarnstrom (drums). Although they were
formed in 1999, this is their debut release, not counting a split
CD with label mates Cipher System.
Pissed off is how you'd describe the vocal style of Westin.
"Between The Lines" kicks off with a full throat-tearing
exercise. Can you say staccato? These guitarists are like
computer-programmed robots as they toss out lightning fast
riffs and precise chopping, propelled by a hyperactive
double-bass.
An interesting stutter-step opens "Part of Perfection" with
Meshuggah riffing. Beyond that, this is the only average cut.
"One and the Same" is the best of the bunch with offsetting
time changes and the most melody of all the tracks.
As impressive at spewing pure venom Westin is, he's never
overshadowed by the ultra-fast shredding of the guitarists. The
only complaint here is how deep the bass is buried in the mix.
It's too top heavy for my liking.
The surprise of the record is the second to last cut, "At the End
of the Day," which is an instrumental. It's lighter riffing with a
radio broadcast mixed over it. Drummer Per Qvarnstrom
shines in the set closer, "Dead or Confused," with a massive
double-bass workout.
This is not a standout record by any means. Considering the
young age of the band (early 20's), the raw talent is there and
they will put out something impressive in the future. That's not
to say this is a bad release. For fans of melodic death metal,
there is enough here to make your neck snap. |
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