Desire - "Locus Horrendus"
Selfrelease, 2002
When I got this promo CD, I could not expect what I will find inside it. To let you know - Desire, from Portugal are many years on metal scene, but it's the fact they are still unsigned, so they released this album (or promo CD) by themselves, without help of any record label. When I finally opened box I had something to be surprised with - professional cover art (dark as hell), inside booklet with 20 professionally printed pages... I never saw so quality promo/selfreleased CD. I notice one round label on front page. It says "Mastered at Finnvox studios by Mika Jussila". For those who don't know, this man was working with bands like Nightwish, Therion, Children Of Bodom... I was a bit skeptic about the sound and production, but as soon as I listened this CD for the first time (listening only to production), I was not skeptic anymore. Perfect production, even much more better than many signed bands have, like in Metal Blade, Century Media... Second time when I was listening to this CD and reading the booklet, I found out that "Locus Horrendus" is in fact conceptual album. You can see that by very different song timing (one song is 13 minutes long, next one is 1 minute, third one 8 minutes...) and by lyrics. You can find there very dark romantic story, or how they say - "Locus Horrendus - the night cries of a sollen soul... romantic tragic concept". Music? Umm, at first, I would define their music as gothic/doom metal. On the other hand, you can feel lots of influences from darkwave and ambiental (samples, mystical keyboards, soft passages), combined with symphonic orchestra. Rhythm section in fact does not lead the rhythm - keyboards do. But when guitars takes it's part, drums and bass are leading the rhythm. Tempo is very slow, and you can feel lots of doom metal in their music (listen to guitars especially). Vocal is very interesting. It moves from death growl, trough black-kind of mysticism (not like Dani Filth), to deeper, cleaner, gothic-kind of vocal type. You can find some narration and female vocals as well (Tania Teixeira). My favourite songs are "(Love Is) Suicide", my number one from this CD, "The Weep Of A Mournful Dusk" and "Torn Apart". The last, bonus, "song" is very cool. Orchestra + samples. Vocal says "Welcome to hell!" and bloody screams came out from speakers, together with gregorian choirs and symphonic passages. Turn on your speakers loud, close your windows, light your candles and play this song - you will see the HELL itself in front of you! This album i more than great, and if we keep in mind that these guys did this all by themselves, we must respect them! Hail Desire!
9+ out of 10 points (By Boris Todorovic)
( copyright: www.scissors.tk )
Selfrelease, 2002
When I got this promo CD, I could not expect what I will find inside it. To let you know - Desire, from Portugal are many years on metal scene, but it's the fact they are still unsigned, so they released this album (or promo CD) by themselves, without help of any record label. When I finally opened box I had something to be surprised with - professional cover art (dark as hell), inside booklet with 20 professionally printed pages... I never saw so quality promo/selfreleased CD. I notice one round label on front page. It says "Mastered at Finnvox studios by Mika Jussila". For those who don't know, this man was working with bands like Nightwish, Therion, Children Of Bodom... I was a bit skeptic about the sound and production, but as soon as I listened this CD for the first time (listening only to production), I was not skeptic anymore. Perfect production, even much more better than many signed bands have, like in Metal Blade, Century Media... Second time when I was listening to this CD and reading the booklet, I found out that "Locus Horrendus" is in fact conceptual album. You can see that by very different song timing (one song is 13 minutes long, next one is 1 minute, third one 8 minutes...) and by lyrics. You can find there very dark romantic story, or how they say - "Locus Horrendus - the night cries of a sollen soul... romantic tragic concept". Music? Umm, at first, I would define their music as gothic/doom metal. On the other hand, you can feel lots of influences from darkwave and ambiental (samples, mystical keyboards, soft passages), combined with symphonic orchestra. Rhythm section in fact does not lead the rhythm - keyboards do. But when guitars takes it's part, drums and bass are leading the rhythm. Tempo is very slow, and you can feel lots of doom metal in their music (listen to guitars especially). Vocal is very interesting. It moves from death growl, trough black-kind of mysticism (not like Dani Filth), to deeper, cleaner, gothic-kind of vocal type. You can find some narration and female vocals as well (Tania Teixeira). My favourite songs are "(Love Is) Suicide", my number one from this CD, "The Weep Of A Mournful Dusk" and "Torn Apart". The last, bonus, "song" is very cool. Orchestra + samples. Vocal says "Welcome to hell!" and bloody screams came out from speakers, together with gregorian choirs and symphonic passages. Turn on your speakers loud, close your windows, light your candles and play this song - you will see the HELL itself in front of you! This album i more than great, and if we keep in mind that these guys did this all by themselves, we must respect them! Hail Desire!
9+ out of 10 points (By Boris Todorovic)
( copyright: www.scissors.tk )
