Customer Reviews

Enlighten the Darkness

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I liked Bleed, Angel Dust's previous release. But it took me a while to get into Enlighten the Darkness. For some reason, this one is more difficult to digest. Sure, there are a few songs that I liked right off. But the rest of the album took some effort to "get".

But get it I did.

The first track, "Let Me Live", is solid thrash/power metal, like most of the album. "Fly Away" is a rousing piece of heavy metal. "Beneath the Silence" is on the quiet, ballad side of things, but it exhibits Angel Dust's strong songwriting. "Still I'm Bleeding" is an emotional epic. "I Need You"--wow! "I Need You" really packs an emotional punch. It is one heart-wrenching song. And "Cross of Hatred" is great thrash with an extremely catchy bridge.

Angel Dust mixes thrash with power metal quite effectively. Their sound is difficult to explain. But imagine a hybrid of Iced Earth (guitars & heavy, thrashy feel), Dream Theater (keyboards), and Superior (vocals & some song arrangements). Now you are kind of in the neighborhood of what Angel Dust sounds like.

It took me awhile to fully get into this disc. But now I love it.

If you are a fan of the band like me, than you already know how Angel Dust's evolving sound has changed from Bleed to Human Bondage. Less melodic than its predecessor (Bleed), Enlighten the Darkness gives us an edgier Angel Dust. Songs like "Cross of Hatred" and "Come Into Resistance" (two of my favorites on the album) have a crunch that separated them from other bands of the genre. However, there are still some beautiful gems on this record as well: "Beneath the Silence" and "Oceans of Tomorrow" will nearly rip your heart out with their emotional depth and beauty. Not as good as Bleed, but it still sits in my cd collection, and I still listen to it with the same awe and love that I felt when I first took it out of the plastic.

Angel Dust plays the kind of progressive metal I like best: the heavy and aggressive kind. That style just gives the music a more "organic" and engaging flavor than mere subdued noodling. I've heard only a few songs from other Angel Dust albums so I can't compare "Enlighten the Darkness" to them, but "Enlighten" is a superb offering that makes me want to go back in the band's catalogue.

The keyboards (mostly piano, some synthesizer) are an important and welcome component of the music, adding an additional layer of complexity and warmth. Most of the guitar work is not particularly flashy, though I do enjoy the Maidenish guitar harmonies on "Still I'm Bleeding." Other particularly worthy tracks include "Let Me Live" and "Fly Away." Sometimes I note a minor problem with the vocal production: an occasional offkey note that I would not expect a band of this caliber to allow to stand. But they are hardly noticeable.

However, I must register strong disapproval of the anti-Christian ... in the lyrics to "Cross of Hatred" and "Oceans of Tomorrow," which I should think would suit the music of ... like Slayer and Deicide more than music of this sort.

On July 18, 2000 I went to the local Tower Records store to pick up Angel Dust's newest album, "ENLIGHTEN THE DARKNESS", on the day of its release. I had never heard the band before but read various reviews of their work and finally decided to check them out. As soon as I got home, I popped the disc in the player and proceeded to get blown away! "ENLIGHTEN THE DARKNESS" is one of the best introductions I've EVER had to ANY band! The album is approximately 54 minutes long and contains 11 tracks. The music on every track is just so well done that you can't help but want to go back after your initial listen to hear the whole damn thing over again! If you're a fan of Angel Dust, you've GOT to get this album. If you've never listened to the band before, buy this album and it is SURE to MAKE you a fan! Although every track is fantastic, the songs "Let Me Live", "Enjoy!", "Cross Of Hatred" and "Oceans Of Tomorrow" are perhaps the finest on this near perfect album. So why do I rate it 4 and not 5 stars? Well, although all 11 tracks are wonderful, the middle few tend to blend togethor. This is obviously deliberate on the band's part due to the way it occurs, but the meshing is unexpected and you'll look at the CD player digital display expecting it to say track 7 when in fact it's on track 10! Such a minor distraction is easily overlooked when you listen and hear the amazing musical quality of Angel Dust's "ENLIGHTEN THE DARKNESS"! So go out and buy it!

2000's Enlighten the Darkness was the fifth overall album from German metallers Angel Dust, and the third album of their too-brief 90's power metal revival. Coming on the heels of the excellent Bleed (my favorite Angel Dust offering), Enlighten the Darkness finds the band dialing down the melodic aspects of their sound in favor of a somewhat heavier style.

For the most part, the heavier direction seems to work. It's not the thrash fest that Of Human Bondage was, but there's an edge to some of these songs that wasn't as noticeable on Bleed. You can hear the heavier aspects on songs like "The One You Are" and especially "Cross of Hatred". My favorite songs are the more melodic numbers, like "I Need You" and "Fly Away", which is one of the album's (and indeed the band's) best tracks.

I still prefer Border of Reality and especially Bleed, but Enlighten the Darkness is an impressive and very heavy power metal album that just about any power metal fan should appreciate. It's a shame the band wasn't able to stick around very far into the new millennium, because they were as good, if not better, than most similar bands.

A brilliant album title and tasteful, artistic cover image set the stage for a truly remarkable release, and the music on "Enlighten the Darkness" delivers. The overall tone to the album is a bit darker than their previous releases, while, for the most part, retaining the band's trademarked melodic flair. I don't know that I'd call this a concept album, though it certainly has that kind of "feel" to it (the incorrectly-ordered song lyrics do detract from the flow, however). Right from the start, the album's first three cuts shine, with songs 2 and 3 ("The One You Are" and "Enjoy!") being among the band's best. The album also ends on a similarly dazzling note with "Cross of Hatred" and "Oceans of Tomorrow". "Cross of Hatred", despite its somewhat obnoxious -- and sometimes shrieking -- repetition of the title, is made great by its excellent guitar work and by an undeniably breathtaking bridge ("Oh, here I stand and I swear...", exceptionally cool when multiple voices join in at the end). "Oceans of Tomorrow" is particularly astonishing, with a tremendous amount of mounting emotional power to it that almost makes it beat out "Bleed" for my all-time favorite Angel Dust song. The album is a little flat in its center, in my opinion. Songs like "Fly Away" and especially "Come into Resistance" and "I Need You" seem a little less imaginative and overly repetitive, though most of them do have some redeeming qualities to them. The acoustic piece "Beneath the Silence" offers a pleasant little change of pace in the middle (though the song on its own would be a little lacking), with its above-average sister track "Still I'm Bleeding" presenting near-perfect counterpart. Overall, this a very deep and melodic album, and quite extraordinary considering the material's heaviness and darkness. I wasn't expecting to be this impressed, but I have to say that this is one of 2000's best releases, by far.

This album doesn't start out as well as Bleed, but it is still acceptional! Anyone into power metal has to listen to Angel Dust! They are a heavier version of Dio, which makes their cover of Temple of the King (which is on Bleed) quite fitting! Check them out; you won't be disappointed!

I'd never really heard anything by Angel Dust when I ordered this - after reading about it and listening to the samples however I thought why not? I wasn't disappointed. The album probably isn't as heavy as I would have liked it to be, but the singer has a GREAT voice. There's no screaming or growling either like on many metal CD'S, but that's because you won't be finding any death or black metal on any of the tracks. The style reminds me slightly of Iron Maiden etc so if you like good old style metal (not that this CD is old of course) you may want to give Angel Dust a listen. Best songs? Probably 'I need you.' Just make sure you turn the sound up loud to get the best results....

I think Angel Dust is one of the best new Heavy Metal bands out there at the moment. They are like nothing I've ever heard.

I must say that after listening to "BLEED" a few thousand times, "ENLIGHTEN" seemed a bit weak in comparison. It didn't have the same feel to it....."BLEED" IS AWESOME!!!. It will be hard for them to ever put out another release of it's perfection.

If you are an avid Metalhead like me, and enjoy traditional style Heavy Metal like Dio, Maiden, Savatage, ect., you will love anything Angel Dust puts their name on. They are the freshest thing to come around in a very long time, and have all the ingredients for super-stardom. These German Metal bands are becoming a major force in the re-birth of "Heavy Metal"!!!

"ENLIGHTEN" is still very impressive, and it may just take a little extra time to grow on me.....I'm still BLEEDING!!!

Check out Edguys' "Theater Of Salvation" as well. Another very promising young German Heavy Metal band with obvious Maiden influences.

I can't wait to see these guys live....They are coming down here in May with Nevermore, and Opeth. Can't wait!!!...

Help, someone please help! I can't get this CD out of my player! Seriously, I bought this and 'Bleed' at the same time, and listened to them back to back. Don't get me wrong, 'Bleed' had its moments (the title track in particular just absolutely screaming), but 'Enlighten' is the one I LOVED! I know they're in this whole German power metal scene taking over again (love it!), but they're something about them that's just different.

It sounds funny, but vocalist Dirk Thurisch has that whole gruff high-pitch that Freddie Mercury made famous. Think 'Highlander'-era Queen only much faster and heavier and you're on target with this album. And believe me, that's a good thing. 'Enjoy' immediately shot to the top of my favorite song list - it's that good; as is 'Let Me Live' and 'Come Into Resistance.' Ah, forget it, the whole album is simply phenomenal. A leader of the classic metal renaissance, for sure. Get all of this!