Artist: Darkane
Label: Century Media
Release Date: 3/6/01
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Title: Insanity Artist: Darkane Label: Century Media Release Date: 3/6/01 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
I had no idea of what to expect when I was first handed this disc. With a name like Darkane, they could be power, thrash, black, death... anything really. And that’s pretty much what it is. Darkane pretty much draw on every type of metal I can think of. And while they aren’t the only band out there that’s tried this ambitious task, they might be the most successful.
"Darkane pretty much draw on every type of metal I can think of. And while they aren’t the only band out there that’s tried this ambitious task, they might be the most successful." From the growling death vocals to the screams, to the power metal-like bridges, this album smokes. And while it sounds like a different band does each song, that is just a testament to the songwriting prowess that these guys employ. I guess the bulk of the material borrows from both 80s and modern thrash pretty equally, these guys sound much less one-dimensional than bands like The Crown and Defleshed (and I love those bands, by the way). The guitars swirl around in a relentless attack that is the perfect coordination of aggression and tact, and the vocals go from death to screams to an Araya-like wail.
As much as I like this band, I can find little to write about them. I find it hard to affix words to their sound, as every time I try, it seems to come out all wrong. This album should be considered a jewel for those bangers who have enjoyed watching the thrash movement evolve. And I got to recommend it for metalheads in general. You might not like everything on this album, but everyone will be able to find something they can sink their teeth into.
Death's Review:
[Perhaps you won’t mind indulging me in a couple of pre-review, opening non-sequitors? I promise that by the fourth paragraph I’ll be talking about Darkane . . . ]Random, non-music related thought number one --
The ever-evolving (and non-existent) list of the all-time top 25 best (read: most random and/or amusing) metal press release quotes has a new member: “DARKANE represent the future of where extreme metal is heading, so hop on for the ride of your life that that time-traveling wuss Marty McFly would be frightened to embark upon.”
Random, non-music related thought number two --
"Bummer. I’m not as totally stoked as I expected to be."
Before I tell you about how Darkane is this week’s victim of diminished expectations, you need a little context. From time-to-time one of us will refer to Famine in one of our reviews. Once in a while, he even writes his own contribution. Part of the beauty of Metal Judgment is that no one individual constitutes its soul: Metal Judgment is, by its very design, the product of many distinct voices. But besides our esteemed editor, very few people have as much influence over which albums get covered by Metal Judgment as Famine. His role is behind the scenes and, trust me, this guy knows his metal. I have logged more than a sane man’s share of hours analytically dissecting metal with Famine --- more than my overall life-productivity rating probably appreciates. And so when Famine told me that he thought Insanity was going to be one of my top three releases of 2001 so far, I thought I’d better give this one a REALLY serious listen.Bummer. I’m not as totally stoked as I expected to be. Yes, it is filled with complex and interesting riffs. Everywhere. And [shock] they are pretty much keyboard-free. At times Darkane sound like a combination between Soilwork, Arch Enemy and Shadows Fall; at others a mix between Lamb of God, the Haunted, Skinlab and Strapping Young Lad. They do kinda crush, but the production seems quite weak, never allowing the organic brilliance of the musicianship to shine through. This definitely hurts things. I also am just plain not that into the singer (not the same guy as on the last album, I understand), who just does not sound as cool as other Gothenberg-death types mining similar territory. Finally, Darkane are simply not as original as was hoping. While they do combine a thrashier element with their Swedish-melodic death sound, they are no more original than say, Shadows Fall in my book.
Still, Insanity does kick a lot of ass in many ways. The musicianship is outstanding, and the riffs are pretty much always interesting (the riff around the 1:30 and 2:30 marks of “Impure Perfection” that slows down for a second is just plain fucked up). The old school references are in there (Testament, Forbidden) right along side In Flames and the rest of that later generation. The drumming is powerful and expressive. I can definitely see why this would look like a new favorite of mine on paper. I would really like to experience Darkane live to know what they truly have to offer. Until then, I’ll say that this is a very cool metal release, even if it is not one of my favorites of the year. A conceptual 4.5 skuller (conceptual ‘cause half skulls are not part of the program here at Metal Judgment) gets reduced to a 4, straight up, probably because of those diminished expectations I discussed above.
"Still, Insanity does kick a lot of ass in many ways."
Hel's Review:
We have a theme this week, boys and girls - metal meets movie soundtrack. Both Dimmu and Darkane begin and end their albums with long instrumentals that sound like, well, movie soundtracks. Beyond this observation, I've spent a great deal of time trying to decide how to describe Darkane. Everything you can think of seems to be tossed in here, at least for a measure or two. Examples. There is one particular vocal style that strongly reminds me of Fear Factory's Burton C. Bell. There are guitar solos and riffs that remind me mostly of good old-fashioned thrash. There's a death metal style voice. Hell, there's even a little hardcore mixed in.
Regardless of where this record falls on the spectrum of metal categorization, I found this album fully entertaining to listen to. It is varied, experimental, wacky and fun. I don't, however, believe that it is necessarily as insane as the album title implies. I've heard nuttier, frankly. What this is: well executed, creative and entertaining. I'm happy with every song, because there so many parts to each song, there is consistently a part to enjoy somewhere within all of them. In the end, it is this feeling of almost ambivalent affection which causes me to give Insanity four skulls instead of five. I was merely entertained, not enthralled, and since I did like it, that was oddly disappointing. Damn, I guess there's no pleasing some people, but Darkane tries, and so should you. Go, try it.
"What this is: well executed, creative and entertaining."
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