Reunite the Darkness
Dark Archive
DARK ARCHIVE is a Black/Death Metal band from Finland. They are a duo, and formed in 2016. "Reunite the Darkness" is their debut album, and contains eleven tracks. "The Awakening" is the first song. Charming and solemn piano notes open the song, while the rest of the instruments ease in slowly, leading to a thick assault of guitars and drums. "Godfear Eradication" is another slow starting song that leads to another heavy attack on the ears. The sound is chaotic, but structured, and the band are clearly capable musicians. The vocals are effective screams that could wake the dead, and in typical European fashion, the music is creative.
"Eternal Disguise" is a short blast of sounds that fill the three-minute song without so much as even a small let-up. Here, the Black Metal blueprint is more noticeable, but without the poor production and bad musicianship. "Cultivate Our Blood in Aeons" begins with dark and ominous tones that pretty quickly give way more chaos. The vocals are done in both screams and gutturals. "Aspect of Freedom" is another burner that obliterates nearly everything in its path. You get a bit of a reprieve at times but it doesn't last long, and there is a quick fade-out at the end. "Black Heart" is the first of two very short songs. I was hoping the acoustical entrance would last a bit longer, but the song is intent on destroying you. "Closure of Empyrean Dreams" is the second, and it's another combustible song.
"Morningstar" is yet another punishing song that just does not let up. I'm not sure how many more of these I can take, although this is the very nature of most Metal music. "Preternatural Ancestry" is the longest on the album. The sound is a little slower and more linear. The soundtrack created here is frightening and harrowing. "Firegod, The Bringer of Flame" is another short song that is on fire from start to finish. The opening screams are a pair of blazing and incinerating vocals, and the song burns much longer than it lasts. "Son of Blight" closes the album. It's another dark and scary offering to the Lord of the Underworld, offered up with a plate of filthy and rotten food that smells way past the expiration date. You are force fed this rancid meal, but somehow it goes down more smoothly than you expect, and you are inexplicably satisfied.
The album is so dense and overgrown, you could not cut through the sound with a machete. But this strength is also a weakness of the album, because nearly every song has the same sound. I mentioned above that the band are quite capable musicians, and I just wish they would have pushed themselves to diversity their sound a bit more. But, on the other hand, if you want an album to energize you and beat your head against the wall over and over, this one is it.
7 / 10
Good
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Reunite the Darkness" Track-listing:
1. The Awakening
2. Godfear Eradication
3. Eternal Disguise
4. Cultivate Our Blood in Aeons
5. Aspect of Freedom
6. Black Heart
7. Closure of Empyrean Delirium
8. Morningstar
9. Preternatural Ancestry
10. Firegod, The Bringer of Flame
11. Son of Blight
Dark Archive Lineup:
Lord Mordor - All Instruments
Perdition - Vocals
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