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Uada - Cult Of A Dying Sun review




Bandcamp music player
Reviewer:
8.0

172 users:
8.01
Band: Uada
Album: Cult Of A Dying Sun
Release date: May 2018


01. The Purging Fire
02. Snakes & Vultures
03. Cult Of A Dying Sun
04. The Wanderer
05. Blood Sand Ash
06. Sphere (Imprisonment)
07. Mirrors

Shortly after Devoid Of Light, we now get another Mgła album. Or not exactly.

Uada got a lot of flak two years ago for their untimely appearance right as a certain Polish band of a similar style and aesthetic exploded in the years prior. It didn't help that they had no previous material and they got quite a high popularity instantly. While neither of the bands really reinvent the wheel and both have their dues to pay to Dissection for this branch of melodic black metal, the similarities were there. Uada seem to know this, so for Cult Of A Dying Sun they try to expand their sound, while still basing it as a continuation of their debut.

Mgła comparisons aside, let's examine the music. Just a quick glance at the track list and it can be seen that this time around the songs are longer and also increased in number, almost doubling the length of Devoid Of Light. This step may have been one too big for Uada to take, as often times it feels like the songs are forcibly overextended. They do find plenty of transitions and variation to fill up the run time without it being boring, but they reached a bit too much. Cutting about a minute from every long track would make the music much more impactful and engaging.

And the variation is there. This no longer feels close to being something else, despite the massive influence. Both the production and the songwriting have improved. Despite reaching a bit too much, while previously stated, it is clear that Uada are more comfortable with writing longer songs than they used to be, and if their evolution is to be observed, I'd say they'll nail it the next time around. There is a lot of variation in the vocal performance; while never really going into clean territory, it finds different ways besides the usual shrieks. The music is mostly riff-based, which is where the engaging side of their melodic black metal sound comes from, but there are moments like the bass fill in "The Purging Fire" or the acoustic guitar and piano in "Sphere (Imprisonment)" that shake the established sound just a little bit. And then there's also "The Wandered", an instrumental track that you would expect to be an opening mood setter, yet is in the middle, dividing the album right in two, and showing a bit of a cascadian feel in the sound.

Uada change their formula just a bit in order to find their own sound and step out of the shadow of their predecessors. They're not quite there yet, but their riffs do it, their shrieks do it, their spirit does it and they're fearless with it.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 7
Production: 8





Written on 17.06.2018 by Doesn't matter that much to me if you agree with me, as long as you checked the album out.


Comments

Comments: 13   Visited by: 212 users
17.06.2018 - 15:25
VforIAmAVagina

It is so unfair to call such fascinating album as "Mgła".
I am not a black metal fan but I can say "Blood Sand Ash" was that much mind blowing that I get a goose bumps
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17.06.2018 - 15:54
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Written by VforIAmAVagina on 17.06.2018 at 15:25

It is so unfair to call such fascinating album as "Mgła".
I am not a black metal fan but I can say "Blood Sand Ash" was that much mind blowing that I get a goose bumps

You didn't read past the first sentence, did you?
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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17.06.2018 - 16:33
roeder

Saw these guys open for Furia a couple of months ago. While they certainly have some catchy riffs and cool songs, their whole stage presence was lame.
They were trying very hard to project some occult vibe, but at the same time they were constantly doing the 'come on people, fists in the air, hey hey' thing, which makes me cringe every time.
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17.06.2018 - 20:01
Mercurial

Never really got the Mgla comparisons with this band. Especially as Mgla never struck me as particularly original in the first place.
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17.06.2018 - 20:12
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by roeder on 17.06.2018 at 16:33
Saw these guys open for Furia a couple of months ago. While they certainly have some catchy riffs and cool songs, their whole stage presence was lame.They were trying very hard to project some occult vibe, but at the same time they were constantly doing the 'come on people, fists in the air, hey hey' thing, which makes me cringe every time.


Oh really? That is indeed a shame. I saw them live here in Southern Sweden and I thought they were great and they didn't try to interact with the audience at all. Leaving the music and the nice light/smoke combo take care of most thing. Just doing their thing and doing it well. I guess they were unnecesarily pumped on your concert!
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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17.06.2018 - 21:34
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Reminder
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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18.06.2018 - 12:09
qnick90

This kind of music relies heavily on distinct riffs. And while Dissection or Mgła (and yes, Mgła succeeded at creating 8- minute tracks based on one riff, while ist was still very enjoyable) made the riffs, which could carry the entire song on their backs.... This album is lacking this mighty riffs (and recycling already used in few songs)
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19.06.2018 - 10:44
nikarg

It's a very good review of a very good album. A lot less Mgla-sounding than the debut like you say. Very likeable band.
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19.06.2018 - 21:23
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by RaduP on 17.06.2018 at 21:34
Reminder

HAH, I actually read that webcomic.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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19.06.2018 - 22:46
Karlabos
Meat and Potatos
Written by X-Ray Rod on 19.06.2018 at 21:23

HAH, I actually read that webcomic.

Wow someone else reads Questionable Content.

I read the whole thing twice (first some years ago and then other when I bought th physicals)
I often stay a long period without reading aso that it can advance far enough and then read everything at once
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"Aah! The cat turned into a cat!"
- Reimu Hakurei
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20.06.2018 - 11:49
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Comparing whit Mgla is wrong, this band is much better, better insipeations, atmosfere song titles, art works and so on, and english lyrics are better. Mgla is popular in MS thanks to few Polish people, and there yes, but over all Uada is better in all ways. Mgla is one time listening to me , this is esential band what you need to have in CD, Vinyl as oold BM classics
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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20.06.2018 - 14:46
Vombatus
Potorro
Still have to check this one out, but really enjoyed Devoid of Light.
The band reminds me much more of Dissection (as in very melodic not so linear bm) but I guess nowadays it's just hoodies+leather jacket = Mgla, probably due to the timely coincidence between Uada's first release and Mgla sky-rocketing popularity.
Will listen asap, interested to see the changes as long as the melodic riffs are there!
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28.12.2019 - 13:46
Rating: 9
tintinb

Good album, nice powerful meloblack. The guitar work in the 2nd track is especially enchanting.
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Leeches everywhere.
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