DARKANE

Demonic Art

Massacre/ CD

Since the very beginning the Helsinborg metalheads marked up their own path in the jungle of - sometimes almost identic- Swedish bands playin’ melodic death/thrash. And I have to admit that they do it with really good effect, effectively escaping from the IN FLAMES custody.

Today DARKANE celebrates it’s tenth anniversary and is back with it’s fifth - and first issued by the German MASSACRE REC - album. In the so-called meantime, we;ve had a very significant change in band’s line-up. Andreas Sydon ended his cooperation with the band. The new vocalist is Jens Broman known from CONSTRUCDEAD and THE DEFACED. The album begins with symphonic, soundtrack-like introduction ( "Variations of an Eye Crush"). It welcomes us with pompous and bombastic mood, which is effectively destroyed by furious guitar entry of "Leaving Existence". The first track clearly indicates that DARKANE didn’t lost any of its strengths. The Swedes are able to unleash the real storn - "Still In Progress" is the honey to the ears of noise fanatics - but also has a sensitive ear for an interesting melody ( "Wrath Connection" is a real highlight in that department). Borman’s scream sounds well together with the thrash riffs. But range of vocal expression is broader. We have a more melodic singing here and also some solid low growls. Guitarists not only serve a fast and ultratharshin’ riffs, but also put a lot of work into creating really interesting solos (vide: solo from "Demonic Art" and "Soul Survivor", but I could menton almost all the compositions here). It seems to me that the gentlemen from DARKANE were able to reach here a higher degree of transparency and effectiveness. However it was iexciting adventure to discover all the arrangment’s layers of – nomen omen - "Layers of Lies", but this time we have everything more straight-in-the-face. I’m talkin’ here also about the powerful progthrash riffs. Space keyboard sound is rather a detail. Electronics is used as perfect ornament to the guitar work. Just listen to the beginning of "Execution 44”. It’d be a crime not to menton the ultracatchy chorus of that song. "Demigod" is of course not a cover of BEHEMOTH’s. It’s a middle tempo track with one of the most melodic choruses that we have here.

DARKANE already developed it’s own style - it’smost characteristic elements are: technical skills and natural ease in combining melody with heaviness - and fortunately they follow that path. "Demonic Art" rather won’t be a breakthrough in the group’s career, but this is definitely a very solid dose of metal played at a really high level. And this is enought to satisfy this review’s author. And many others, too.

9/12