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Darkane - Expanding Senses review



Reviewer:
8.5

90 users:
8.2
Band: Darkane
Album: Expanding Senses
Release date: August 2002


01. Innocence Gone
02. Solitary Confinement
03. Fatal Impact
04. Imaginary Entity
05. Violence From Within
06. The Fear Of One´s Self
07. Chaos Vs Order
08. Parasites Of The Unexplained
09. Submission
10. Growing Hate [Japanese bonus]

Umm? Another thrash-death band from Sweden ? I already hear you : 'yeah, what the fuck, another In Flames / Soilwork / (add your fav band here) clone'. And yes, Sweden seems the perfect ground for this style. But I'm sorry to disappoint you, Darkane is not 'just another band in the genre'.

For four reasons :

1) the songs are catchy as hell, with perfect violence, agressiveness and melody

2) Peter Wildoer's drumming is completely wild and mad, a lot of beats everywhere, outlining melodies, riffs, in a personal way that you'll find nowhere else. Drums are, somehow, the most important instrument in the music.

3) Andreas Sydow, the singer (screamer ?), has quite an unique voice. He was searching his ground on Darkane's previous album (Insanity), but now his vocals have matured and are completely in tune with the mad quality of the music.

4) With my peculiar tastes, I find Soilwork quickly boring except for a few songs. Darkane are ways better on this album, because there are 'no fillers, only killers' (as the saying goes).

Even with all these wonderful qualities, the sound still has a feeling of 'deja-vu'. It's a powerful, clean and agressive production of Daniel Bergstrand. You said it, the swedish sound is here ; although excellent, I think it lacks the 'little something' that would have spared Darkane a lot of criticism?
Conclusion : an excellent album, perfect for headbanging ! Darkane should leave the shadow of the most well knowns bands of the same background (no names anymore?) to come to their full glory !

Highlights : Nearly all songs should be there, cause the quality is at a constant (and high) level. I prefer Fatal Impact and Imaginary Entity, but Innocence Gone is the song that made me buy the album? Submission is quite strange, with a psychekedelic feel. Chaos vs Order seems well-liked, but it's probably the one that I like the less (note that Darkane's first singer, Lawrence Mackrory, appears on this song).

Written by Darkside Momo | 11.10.2004




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Guest review by
Spyroid
Rating:
8.9
Though this may not really be Gothenburg metal, the band often gets stuffed together with other Swedish bands like In Flames, Arch Enemy, Soilwork (the last of which are from the same town) etc. Which is a shame, because that might be the main reason this band often gets overlooked and has to stand in the shadows of other Swedish bands that they actually don't have much in common with. In fact they out-rule theese bands in every point.

Read more ››
published 06.12.2007 | Comments (5)


Comments

Comments: 5   Visited by: 31 users
01.10.2007 - 17:51
Rating: 8
Spyroid
Rosetta Stoned
Great albums - absolutely no fillers, though I like the musicvideotracks/singles chaos... and innocence... a bit less. Not my kind of music but outstanding musicianship! This was also the first signed metalband I ever saw live, so of course I have a special relationship to them aswell

Great review! Exactly my opinion, except from favouritetracks... but as written - no fillers, only killers!
The best Swedish Death Metal band.
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02.10.2007 - 15:01
Rating: 7
Syk
myspace/bonerama
I thought it was a horribly average album, there's no song that makes me say "Oh hell yes!" The vocals and riffs sound a bit tired too... damn this modern bull
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death ? thrash ? death/doom/prog ? Hail Zoldon!

he's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays
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02.10.2007 - 22:01
Rating: 8
Jason W.
Razorbliss
Yes, I really enjoy this album as well, though in honesty it's "Insanity" that has my favorite Darkane tracks on it. This CD, though, is exactly as you say: it's good from start to finish, without a bad track. And, also, I agree with you that the track featuring their original vocalist is the only one I don't care for. And yes, this CD is much better than anything Soilwork has done since 'Natural Born Chaos' by immeasurable distances. Andreas's voice is totally unique, which is so difficult in screamers/vocalists. He will be sorely missed now that he's departed.
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"After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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04.10.2007 - 17:14
Darkside Momo
Retired
Written by Jason W. on 02.10.2007 at 22:01

Andreas's voice is totally unique, which is so difficult in screamers/vocalists. He will be sorely missed now that he's departed.

So true, that was bad new indeed.

Anyways, thanks for your comments !
----
My Author's Blog (in French)


"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you"

"I've lost too many years now
I'm stealing back my soul
I am awake"
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17.09.2009 - 22:14
Rating: 9
GamlaSonn

Major step-up from their preceding album "Insanity", this album is pretty good!
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