The album is out, the day of reckoning is here, its time to spread the blood, of the tyrannical, and the innocent!!! This album is by none other then The Count, of the one man wrecking ball that is Dark Metamorphosis. Big fan of this guys music here if I can so proudly say myself. Blood Burden is the name of his new game and is nothing short or pure cold relentless mayhemic death defying guitar shredding to the ears. Now this is where I get serious. This is and has to be one of my very few little semi - mixed reviews, whatever that means, so I will go on and tell ya what I can. I really do like the album, just its one of his heavier no bullshit balls out type of album. Nothing too in-between, but not totally the reason why it did not grab me instantly as soon as I played it, it is almost completely different from his past material. Kingdom Gone, In A Heartbeat, The Fall of Dracelecarde…but nonetheless, the album does have more improvements / strong points then those last 3 I mentioned and each track has something different to offer. Lets see where this review leads me to as I listen.
I also sincerely hope he appreciates the constructive criticism. And does not take my new review to heart. I try my best to find the dark and completely sick and awesome out of all the albums I get in the mail.
In a guitar sense, and production sense, yes it is his best. 1113 just very in your face and intense from start to finish. I was slowly being hypnotized by the themes of guitars screaming and the vocals shrieking. The total death of all is imminent.
Clockwork Cryptomnesia, great piano intro, then the full force felt in the last track 1113 comes in, I could imagine 1113 is a year that relates to something old and worth reading? I just hope this review is… not to get off track, but from what you can hear from the first and 2nd songs, the guitar sound, and drum machine sound has improved dramatically. The lo-fi sounding approach has disappeared, and they sound almost perfectly polished. The drums, sound good, just a small disappointment.. a lil less clicking, not to take a page out of Fenriz book, but I would prefer a real drum sound behind these mega ultra sonic riffs because the guitar work being displayed in both songs is pretty outstandingly awesome.
Piano outro now… 6 mins of intensity, and I just been through 11 mins of it. Its hard to digest, but very deep and swift. It caught me off guard somewhat. I am use to listening to long songs, but that was just a complete BM mind fuck. Good meaning, but also I would have enjoyed less clicking and more dum dum doh! to it.
Defiance, more clicking, I can imagine that is how each track will sound, but like I said, real or more realistic drums, would suffice. The drums are not that big of a deal in a black metal sense... I am just use to hearing real drums lately opposed to machines, so if I were to have put some time myself, if the Count allowed it, I could have spruced up the sound of the drums (just a thought) but nonetheless, I am not going to nit pick over the drum sound through out the whole review, but overall, besides the clicking, the drums do sound good.
2:35 to 3:40, the guitars really fucking good, and then stops into a sickening cry into some low death growls. With some demonic… Billy Corgan sounding singing? and then into some more growls, weird mix. In spite of my rage I still will review this album in my caaagggeeee…..
Another one is up, One in The Chamber. I really like how this one opens up. sounds like a hard riff to keep going, then, as soon as 1:24 comes in, I am sucked in. The vocals are hard to decipher, but I could say this is the chorus part. Now the real stunning solos come in, that TRY to shine out, I wish they were just a few decibels louder though, they really do need to stand out more and really show off the Counts hard work put in on each song that does feature one. They are not too easy to pull off between that barrage of wolverine clawed riffs! 4:39 to the end, very well done. Just wish the solo stuck out a lil more, but otherwise, a nearly solid tune.
Next one, The World Within, intro kinda reminds me of a Fear Factory opening in a small way, then more buzzing and intensity is building you up to a total blackened speed fest of what the last 4 tracks where showing off but more atmospheric then the last ones. The guitar(s) speak on this one. And I really like to hear more of that. Vocals I almost forget to mention, little hard to decipher, but are more shrieks then actual words you can hear, the shrieks always did BM justice and I think its more so evident on this album that they work well for the Count.
Even though he has mixed it up with the growls and lows on the track Defiance. 8 mins and 30 secs is totally blistering my ears and mind. Intensity through out! 7:35, back to the sound of the intro, building up, destroying buildings, more chaos, volcanoes are erupting, all is dead.
The song When Every Last Drop Is Gone, perfect opening, Xasthur like scream, like a eagle, swooping down and catching its prey. Wings flying high on this one. The song is a little less interesting then the last, but as soon as you hit the 2:35 mark, off you fucking go, into a world of ultra sonic riffs. Kinda reminds me of some parts of that fan song by Dethklok in a small way… drums and guitars, completely in harmony with one another. Then a halting end. Wish it was a bit longer, because all songs so far were, and the album so far is really growing on me more and more from when I last heard it.
Thorough and examining listens are usually the ones where I can listen to a album and grasp it the best. So far, I think I am getting more and more use to the Counts sudden changes in sound & pace.
The last song, Your Worst Nightmare {Is Real} is one of the first songs I listen to actually because of the title itself when I first gave this album a listen. I was expecting this melancholy and morose sound through out most of the tracks, might of mislead me a bit, but from what I can tell from listening start to finish, the songs all blend great together. The heavy part of this song does come in at 3:13 though... so expect a slow and lingering heavy tone here, that builds up slowly, and then throws you into the Blood Burdens closing of all the sheer intensity shown in the last 6 songs. The vocals are serious as all hell, and they are scary as fuck.
The screams pulled off, I really enjoy. They are not as easy as you think they are to pull off, especially while this pulverizing guitar work is displayed right in your face. As the song gets close to the 7 minute mark, the solos come in again and is fucking epic. I really can say I gone from a mixed review, to a nearly stellar review. The album at first listen did leave me a lil half empty but now I am a blood red wine glass full.
Excellent album, and it is by far one of the Counts best. I just couldn't imagine overseeing his other material over this album because I really do like all the material he has done, as a whole, but in a percent rating, of how much I recommend you pick this album up on cd opposed the other albums, I would give it a 95% rating.
The other albums before, listen to for sure, but if you want a revitalized and fresh sounding BM album that proves to be one of The Counts best, most lively and hard hitting, and I could not say anymore strongly then this. Get the Blood Burden, you will not regret it.
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