Damnation Army - Tyrant
Mascot Records - M 7200 2 - 2006
By Philip Whitehouse
Typically speaking, say the words 'one-man-black-metal-project' to someone who's at least vaguely familiar with BM and the impression that will form in their mind is one of an under-produced, grim and raw effort, redolent with nihilism and melancholy, possibly enamoured with Burzum, and frequently, to put it bluntly, utter tosh. Sweden's Thomas Nyholm bucks the majority of that trend with his second album, Tyrant, in that the influences are more diverse, the production is professional, and the quality is... Well, we'll get to that.
Influences first. The melancholy is present and correct, but rather than drawing from Burzum et al's well of hypnotically repetetive sorrow-riffs, Nyholm seems to prefer a hint of old-school Katatonia instead. The songs tend towards the mid-tempo pace, calling to mind the likes of Khold (an impression emboldened by the growling basslines and general groove of the record), although Nyholm does let loose and fly into faster passages when the song calls for it. And thus, we come to what I suspect is the third main influence - latter-day Satyricon. There's an accessibility and hookiness to the riffage that will no doubt have the 'tr00 adn kvlt' brigade up in arms. Nyholm also brings to the table some nice personal touches of his own - his guitar-playing and riff-writing are very cool indeed, with little melodic flourishes and epic-sounding harmonies scattered liberally throughout. All this comes wrapped in a professional, punchy, clear production that gives the bass a throaty growl, the guitars a nice crunch, and the drums some real weight.
So far, so good, huh? Thing is, however accomplished the musicianship, however impressive the production, and however diverse the influences, an album stands and falls on the songs contained on it. Tyrant doesn't quite manage to deliver on this front. While the songs are varied enough to retain interest, they don't quite capture the imagination or inspire awe (with the possible exception of album closer 'Poisoning The Mind, a track with rather more majestic scope than the other six offerings). It's cool to listen to, no doubt, but there's nothing on here that screams "listen to me!" Interesting, yes, but not nearly essential.
5/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
Damnation Army's Official Website
Mascot Records' Official Website
Mascot Records - M 7200 2 - 2006
By Philip Whitehouse
Typically speaking, say the words 'one-man-black-metal-project' to someone who's at least vaguely familiar with BM and the impression that will form in their mind is one of an under-produced, grim and raw effort, redolent with nihilism and melancholy, possibly enamoured with Burzum, and frequently, to put it bluntly, utter tosh. Sweden's Thomas Nyholm bucks the majority of that trend with his second album, Tyrant, in that the influences are more diverse, the production is professional, and the quality is... Well, we'll get to that.
Influences first. The melancholy is present and correct, but rather than drawing from Burzum et al's well of hypnotically repetetive sorrow-riffs, Nyholm seems to prefer a hint of old-school Katatonia instead. The songs tend towards the mid-tempo pace, calling to mind the likes of Khold (an impression emboldened by the growling basslines and general groove of the record), although Nyholm does let loose and fly into faster passages when the song calls for it. And thus, we come to what I suspect is the third main influence - latter-day Satyricon. There's an accessibility and hookiness to the riffage that will no doubt have the 'tr00 adn kvlt' brigade up in arms. Nyholm also brings to the table some nice personal touches of his own - his guitar-playing and riff-writing are very cool indeed, with little melodic flourishes and epic-sounding harmonies scattered liberally throughout. All this comes wrapped in a professional, punchy, clear production that gives the bass a throaty growl, the guitars a nice crunch, and the drums some real weight.
So far, so good, huh? Thing is, however accomplished the musicianship, however impressive the production, and however diverse the influences, an album stands and falls on the songs contained on it. Tyrant doesn't quite manage to deliver on this front. While the songs are varied enough to retain interest, they don't quite capture the imagination or inspire awe (with the possible exception of album closer 'Poisoning The Mind, a track with rather more majestic scope than the other six offerings). It's cool to listen to, no doubt, but there's nothing on here that screams "listen to me!" Interesting, yes, but not nearly essential.
5/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
Damnation Army's Official Website
Mascot Records' Official Website
