Dagorlad The End Of The Dark Ages
The L.S.P. Company LSP009 25th March 2002
By Russell Garwood
Three piece Dagorlad play epic fantasy black metal, their horror and fantasy-based lyrics suit the slightly cheesy epic music. The band comprises main-man Count Zaroff otherwise known as Philippe Gandibule, who is responsible for the guitars, bass keyboards and programming, and vocalists AOD (Frederic Mercier) and Tinuviel. The music has mediaeval touches but is otherwise similar to much symphonic black metal, but with a far great reliance on keyboards and effects.
The vocals are generally growled, but spoken passages are used to good effect and Tinuviels occasional female vocals provide a good contrast. There is, however, a notable lack of the (male) singing usually found in this type of metal, and the spoken passages and growling would have more effect if better mixed; some songs are almost exclusively spoken while others are all growled, eradicating the contrast between the two styles. The keyboards are slightly over-used at times, and the unrealistic sounds lack subtlety, which can detract from the music rather than helping create atmosphere. At times, however, the keyboards are used well and augment an eerie atmosphere already present in the music. The drums have been well programmed with plenty of variation throughout, the only clue to their origin is a slightly false sound. Count Zaroffs simplistic, usually chord-based guitars fit well, as most of the melody comes from the keyboards. The bass is far back in the mix, adding little to the overall sound. The ten songs on The End Of The Dark Ages are largely progressive, but can have a sprawling feel due to a lack of structure.
Standout tracks include the very Rakoth reminiscent The Revelation To Mallek, a heavier effort with more variation, The Holy Battle, and The Bulls Of Itaros for better placed keyboards. Dagorlads music is competently written, but lacks originality and variation. Despite the prolific orchestration, the ten songs on this release can feel samey and begin to drag. The horror/fantasy lyrics too, show that originality isnt the bands main concern; for example, over the organ intro of Neflit AOD recites Oh great demon/ prince of darkness/ bringer of evil/ come to us/ leave the depths of eternal suffering. However, as long as you arent looking for something new and groundbreaking, and if you are a fan of symphonic and melodic black metal, then Dragorlad may well appeal to you.
The L.S.P. Company LSP009 25th March 2002
By Russell Garwood
Three piece Dagorlad play epic fantasy black metal, their horror and fantasy-based lyrics suit the slightly cheesy epic music. The band comprises main-man Count Zaroff otherwise known as Philippe Gandibule, who is responsible for the guitars, bass keyboards and programming, and vocalists AOD (Frederic Mercier) and Tinuviel. The music has mediaeval touches but is otherwise similar to much symphonic black metal, but with a far great reliance on keyboards and effects.
The vocals are generally growled, but spoken passages are used to good effect and Tinuviels occasional female vocals provide a good contrast. There is, however, a notable lack of the (male) singing usually found in this type of metal, and the spoken passages and growling would have more effect if better mixed; some songs are almost exclusively spoken while others are all growled, eradicating the contrast between the two styles. The keyboards are slightly over-used at times, and the unrealistic sounds lack subtlety, which can detract from the music rather than helping create atmosphere. At times, however, the keyboards are used well and augment an eerie atmosphere already present in the music. The drums have been well programmed with plenty of variation throughout, the only clue to their origin is a slightly false sound. Count Zaroffs simplistic, usually chord-based guitars fit well, as most of the melody comes from the keyboards. The bass is far back in the mix, adding little to the overall sound. The ten songs on The End Of The Dark Ages are largely progressive, but can have a sprawling feel due to a lack of structure.
Standout tracks include the very Rakoth reminiscent The Revelation To Mallek, a heavier effort with more variation, The Holy Battle, and The Bulls Of Itaros for better placed keyboards. Dagorlads music is competently written, but lacks originality and variation. Despite the prolific orchestration, the ten songs on this release can feel samey and begin to drag. The horror/fantasy lyrics too, show that originality isnt the bands main concern; for example, over the organ intro of Neflit AOD recites Oh great demon/ prince of darkness/ bringer of evil/ come to us/ leave the depths of eternal suffering. However, as long as you arent looking for something new and groundbreaking, and if you are a fan of symphonic and melodic black metal, then Dragorlad may well appeal to you.
