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Black Sun Aeon - Blacklight Deliverance review



Reviewer:
6.3

124 users:
8.11
Band: Black Sun Aeon
Album: Blacklight Deliverance
Release date: October 2011


01. Brothers
02. Solitude
03. Sheol
04. Oblivion
05. Horizon
06. Wasteland
07. Nightfall

Multi-instrumentalist Tuomas Saukkonen has made quite a name for himself in the melodic metal scene, his name synonymous with Before The Dawn, Dawn Of Solace, and lastly, Black Sun Aeon. If you're keeping count, that's two albums released this year and five albums in the last three. Efficient, sure - but unfortunately not proficient.

Blacklight Deliverance is the runt of the litter, to put it simply. When compared to the more melodic and evocative Darkness Walks Beside Me or the more adventurous Routa, it appears diminutive and malnourished. Saukkonen hasn't released a complete dud, mind you; the archetypal melodic death doom formula is still present and Mikko Heikkilä's clean vocals are still utilized appropriately for dramatic effect. Those two aspects alone should please any fan of less extreme doom bands, such as Draconian and Swallow The Sun.

Comparisons notwithstanding, this album still fails to capture or entice. Saukkonen's decision to incorporate clean female vocals so obnoxiously detracts from the already limited energy produced by the stagnant sound, treading a rather monotonous path. Fortunately Blacklight Deliverance improves in one area that Routa fell short: objective. With a 40-minute run time the listener is able to better digest the contents, their purpose clear from the very start. Saukkonen wants to leave his audience morose, but he doesn't want anyone slitting their wrists over it.

The songs blend together without hesitation making it difficult to scrutinize the individual aspects that make this album seem to stretch on well past its run time, yet it's made apparent before the halfway point that you've been hearing the same song only with a different title... over... and over... It drives the message home. The atmosphere drags you down into a feeling of slight despair.

And that's where you're left when the album concludes: depressed, but not really.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 6
Originality: 6
Production: 7





Written on 02.11.2011 by I'm total pro; that's what I'm here for.


Comments

Comments: 15   Visited by: 239 users
02.11.2011 - 05:26
Edmund Fogg

AAh Shnitzell! I liked Routa a lot (had to hide any sharp objects while listening) and was curious about this one. Still I'll give it the youtube trial, but it seems it won't really get more.
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You cannot sedate all the things you hate - MM
The Observer is the source of reality - Bloom
God damn it!! What did Diddy didn't do? - Satan
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02.11.2011 - 12:40
Milena
gloom cookie
Saukkonen's work never seemed overly depressive to me, I listened to it when I wanted easy listening, kinda like with Suomi metal.
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7.0 means the album is good
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02.11.2011 - 17:14
Rating: 8
Justicelust

It seems the voters have a different opinion about this album!
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02.11.2011 - 19:34
qlacs
"The Quaker"
Written by Justicelust on 02.11.2011 at 17:14

It seems the voters have a different opinion about this album!

Let me see the rating after 200 votes.


8.5 | 50 votes vs. 75 fans -

Fans: 9.45 | 11 votes
Non-fans: 8.28 | 39 votes

I think you may see the reason...
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02.11.2011 - 23:15
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Guest on 02.11.2011 at 19:40

And if someone want to try the best album from Tuomas Saukkonen, definitely listen to The Darkness (Dawn of Solace).

Is that the general consensus or your opinion? because, if it is the general consensus I'm sure to try.
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7.0 means the album is good
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02.11.2011 - 23:24
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Milena on 02.11.2011 at 23:15
Is that the general consensus or your opinion? because, if it is the general consensus I'm sure to try.

I think the general consensus would be BSA's debut or BtD's Deadlight.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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02.11.2011 - 23:32
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Guest on 02.11.2011 at 23:31
And don't forget that a large group of fans are really into the old BtD stuff and therefore shall disagree with Deadlight :-)

Ya there's always 4:17am and My Darkness.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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02.11.2011 - 23:40
psykometal
A staff guy...
I just dl'd the album last night and listened to it and I liked it, I also really enjoyed Deathstar Rising so if you guys are saying that the earlier stuff of Tuomas' is better then I need to get me some of the earlier stuff.
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~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~

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02.11.2011 - 23:42
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Troy Killjoy on 02.11.2011 at 23:32

Written by Guest on 02.11.2011 at 23:31
And don't forget that a large group of fans are really into the old BtD stuff and therefore shall disagree with Deadlight :-)

Ya there's always 4:17am and My Darkness.

I've heard most BtD album (all those you've mentioned) and they didn't leave quite an impression on me. 4:17 and My Darkness had pretty much zero melodeath in them and they weren't exactly cut-veins sadness either... Maybe I'm just growing skin.
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7.0 means the album is good
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02.11.2011 - 23:43
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Milena on 02.11.2011 at 23:42
4:17 and My Darkness had pretty much zero melodeath in them and they weren't exactly cut-veins sadness either... Maybe I'm just growing skin.

No their early stuff was basically melodic gothic metal, he's said he wants to change the sound to be more of a legitimate melodic death metal band and dispose of the gothic elements. Pretty tame stuff.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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02.11.2011 - 23:52
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by psykometal on 02.11.2011 at 23:40
I need to get me some of the earlier stuff.

There's a big difference between the early stuff and recent stuff, so it's not a guarantee you'll appreciate the back catalog. Their modern releases are more aggressive and more focused on faster paced catchy melodic metal whereas the early stuff relies heavily on gothic influences.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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02.11.2011 - 23:54
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Troy Killjoy on 02.11.2011 at 23:43

Pretty tame stuff.

Yeah, on the last bits there was more melodeath, but not exactly the kind I like, at least from what I've heard on Deathstar Rising. And 'tame' is the word. Though I really like that Lars dude who did some vocals for them, he's awesome in Winds.
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7.0 means the album is good
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03.11.2011 - 02:57
psykometal
A staff guy...
Written by Milena on 02.11.2011 at 23:54

I really like that Lars dude who did some vocals for them, he's awesome in Winds.

Lars Eric Si has an amazing voice. Shocks the hell out of me every time I listen to Winds cuz Hellhammer is usually more involved in the black metal scene and Winds is so extremely tame and awesome...\m/
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~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~

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03.11.2011 - 09:38
Fredd The Fredd
Account deleted
Come on Troy, if this album is bad then his debut should be no less than the best album ever..
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03.11.2011 - 10:05
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by psykometal on 03.11.2011 at 02:57

... and Winds is so extremely tame and awesome...\m/

AND they're prog. Ideal situation for me
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7.0 means the album is good
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