Customer Reviews

Of Human Bondage

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With their 2002 release Of Human Bondage, Angel Dust opted for a much heavier sound than on their previous couple of releases. Unfortunately it leaves the band straddling the fence between their thrash roots and the power metal sound that has made them a success. They just can't seem to find the right mix of the two styles. Personally I think they should stick with the traditional power metal sound they had on Bleed, which I believe is their best album to date.

The schizophrenic nature of the album is most evident in the dramatic contrast between all-out thrashers "The Human Bondage" and "Unreal Soul" with the more melodic power metal songs "Forever" and "Freedom". It's like they could have made either a great thrash album or a great power metal album, but by dabbling in both styles they just weakened the overall album. That being said, Of Human Bondage is still a decent metal album. It is just hard to accept a 'decent' album from a band that has shown it is capable of greatness. I do, however, give Angel Dust credit for their daring cover of Seal's "Killer". It was very well executed, and is probably my favorite track on the whole album.

If you are new to Angel Dust, and thinking about checking them out, I would suggest starting with their 2000 offering Bleed. If you are already a fan, I would still recommend Of Human Bondage. It is definitely the work of a more mature band, but it's far from their best work. Unfortunately it is their final recording to date. The band keeps promising a comeback, but so far that has not happened.

NOTE: Early pressings of this album came with a bonus CD sampler from Century Media that showcased the label's other traditional/power metal bands (including Blind Guardian, Jag Panzer, and Iced Earth).

I never liked this CD when I first bought it. I listened and reviewed this the day it came out after only one spin. I didn't like it either. I was expecting much more from Angel Dust. After time went on, I decided to give it a solid listen not based on comparison of "Bleed" and "Enlighten".....

Today, I must say that this is very good. It's got all the ingredients of a great release. It's not as hard hitting as their previous efforts, but it is very enjoyable from start to finish. This is Angel Dusts' most creative effort IMO. It may not be as heavy as "Bleed" or "Enlighten", and it may not be as melodic either. It is however the most complete out of the three from start to finish....

"Human Bondage" is an excellent change of pace so to speak. It's got a mixture of Thrash/Speed/Heavy Metal. It's also laid-out very well. The songs are well placed, and the whole feel to it is very solid. I'd be going out on a limb to call this the best release from Angel Dust, but after it gets it's hooks into you, I'm sure you'll find it very impressive....

To any of you who are expecting a more "Enlighten" feel, don't give up on this and get discouraged like I did. Give this CD a chance to grow on you before tossing it aside....You wont regret it in the end.

If your new to Angel Dust, and would like to check them out, I would start with "Bleed". My favorite Angel Dust release....

ANGEL DUST RULES!!!

This is one of those type of albums, where if you play it enough, you'll begin to like it. When I bought this album and gave it the first spin, I have to admit I didn't care for it. It's not following after "Bleed" or "Enlighten the Dark". It seems the band on this outing, was going for a more industal sound to the music. In some cases they sound like Nevermore because of this. As for the title and the music's direction ...It was a album that seemed to be a forced effort and the lyrics very sad leanings and the morbed sound many of these songs leads me to believe the band barely made it thru this recording at all. As you all know, Angel Dust break up a little while after this release. There Have been rumors and such that they plan to reform in one way or another, but on't hold your breathe. Now lets Review the tracks on this album: 1. The Human Bondage - The song is sort of a way to some up the ground covered on this album. It's quite a good track. ...95%2. Inhuman - Heavy and futuristic sounding. Perhaps the fasted song on here, and it has one of the most touching Chorus's of the album. The song seems to about Robots taing over mankind after mankind made them. ...100% 3. Unreal Soul - One of the more straight forward metal tracks on here. By the way, yes they cuss in this song, which is something that never seems to happen in the style of powermetal. ...90% 4. Disbeliever - A softer song with a odd feel to it. It is not the song I catch myself playing much. It's just seems to drag on too long. ...80% 5. Forever - It's a odd song. It's got a bit of a Marlyn Manson type keyboard in it. The Song is about holy wars. I think this song has to be one of the best songs Angel Dust has ever done. ...100% 6. Unite - Semi-heavy song, but the vocals are pretty interesting. It seemed like this songs real messenge was of the band breaking up. ....95% 7. Got This Evil - Semi heavy song, It's keyboard parts are bleak. The problem I have with this song is the Chorus which just doesn't fit at all. ...85%8. The Cultman - Weird Softer song. Very mystical sound to it. The lyrics are odd as well. It's one of the more interesting tracks on here. ....95% 9. Freedom Awaits - Cool keyboard sound effects and a decent beat. It reminds me of something off the album "Enlighten the Darkness". ....90%10. Killer - This is a cover of a song by Seal. I have no clue how Seal'd version sounded, but this version is very interesting. It's semi-heavy with this very eletric chorus thanks to the Keyboards. ...95%If you like this album, I also suggest: Angel Dust- Enlighten the Darkness, Angel Dust- Bleed, Nevermore- Dreaming Neon Black, Nevermore- Dead Heart in a Dead World, and Angel Dust- Border of Reality.

I cannot believe the couple of bad critics I have read here about this album. Altough it is not as awesome as Enlighten the darkness (a six stars album), Of Human Bondage is for sure a five stars album. It is their heaviest album, maybe too heavy for Angel Dust's own good... still it contains great songwriting, there are no weak songs. If I had to choose the best song, it is Disbeliever, a truly amazing song. If you already like Angel Dust, buy it, you won't regret it. If you're looking to buy your first AD album, you should start with Enlighten (one of the best ORIGINAL metal albums I have ever heard.

Angel Dust's new release "Of Human Bondage" may surprise some people by its heaviness. Overall, its heavier than ETD, but it still has those progressive elements that we love from the band.
First of all, the production is flawless, with pounding drums, and the crunchiest guitar sound I've heard so far this year. The title track is a mid-tempo bone crusher, that has one of the heaviest riffs towards the end of the song. The vocals are as great as ever, and the songwriting/riffing is top notch. There are no clunkers here. If I had to find something to nitpick, it would be the fact that the solos are not very prominent. (Then again, Angel Dust was never a band to highlight the 2 minute guitar solo.) Killer tracks here are: Of Human Bondage, Inhuman, Unite, and Got This Evil. Fans of Thrash, and Powermetal will find something to enjoy here.

This is quite possibly my favorite band, and I am not disappointed with this new offering! Sure, it's a shame Bernd Aufermann had to leave as he was oh so good. But Wilkinson is a good replacement, the guitar tones are at about the same heaviness and timbre as before. FOR A NEW GUITARIST, ANGEL DUST KEPT THEIR DISTINCTIVE SOUND REMARKABLY WELL! Wilkinson does not suck, he came up with plenty of riffs and solos on this one. All the songs are keyboard-laden, which is good, and a Dust trademark. Give these guys credit....they keep delivering us quality "heavy" power metal time after time. Thurisch is singing better than ever, and Assmuth's drumming assault is brutal. This album reminds me more of Border of Reality than Bleed or Enlighten The Darkness, as it is less progressive and quite straight-forward. This album takes a little longer to get into than some of the others, but trust me, give it a chance.
I really can't believe all these negative reviews!

Song Reviews:

The Human Bondage: A very heavy, mid-paced song. Has an dark, evil tone to it, especially with the demon like voice complementing Thurisch. Some cool drum effects and a nice guitar solo are present. Many complain about the modern influence where "I Hate You!" is screamed. Folks, these are not your average crappy nu-metal lyrics about a faulty relationship. No, it goes deeper and darker than that, it's about human bondage (obviously).

Inhuman: Sounds like a keyboard-laden Nevermore! This song mixes keyboard and guitar perfectly, and contains an extremely melodic chorus.

Unreal Soul: This song took me a while to appreciate, with the oddly tuned guitars and echoing voice....But it is a good song. It contains a cool main riff, an extremely melodic chorus, mini-solos throughout, and one nice but short main solo.

Disbeliever: Excellent semi-ballad! Good un-distorted passages and a great solo. It gets heavier towards the end. Great stuff!

Forever: A great heavier, slower song. The whole thing is extremely melodic. The song doesn't have a solo, but a nice transition part with guitar chords. Not every song needs a solo though, this is a great song about warfare.

Unite: Such a great keyboard and guitar mix in this one! This is a faster and very melodic song.

Got This Evil: One of my personal favorites on the disc! The whole song is very melodic and mid-paced. The main riff is awesome as is the solo. You'll be whistling the chorus later on.

The Cultman: A very good, haunting ballad....I love the keyboard effects and tribal sounding drums in parts of the song. This may be one of Dust's most "haunting" songs. The main passages are acoutic driven while the chorus is distorted. The solo is very passionate and fitting! This is another one of my favorites!

Freedom Awaits: Another one of my favorites! This is one of the most melodic songs on the disc, but heavy as well. The keyboard and guitar work (very fitting solo) in this one is great.

Killer: I am not familar with this Seal cover, but I can appreciate it as a nice little metal song. I love the chorus and guitar solo on this one.

Overall, this is a fairly straight-forward disc, but diverse in song types. Recommended....

Angel Dust is from Germany and plays powermetal, not unlike that of Blind Guardian. They are obviously less technical than that band. Their songs are good, and they have a great vocalist, unlike that of the band Nevermore. I don't really have a favorite song, although the title track "Of Human Bondage" is excellent. This is my first Angel Dust CD. Enlighten the Darkness is also very good. Buy both. If you are into powermetal, get this CD. Most of the CD is great, although the end gets a bit repetitive. Also, get the limited edition version double CD set with the powermetal sampler disc. It's an excellent value.

I was extremely worried before receiving this new album on hearing the news of the departure of guitarist Bernd Aufermann, one of the best guitarists anywhere, for the reason of differing musical direction and then wondering whether the new guitarist Ritchie Wilkison would be able to fill the huge shoes vacated by my favourite Angel Dust member. I truly believe that the guitarist and the vocalist are the only members of any band that are essential to define its style and identity, you can replace the others but not them, so you can imagine my dismay at the prospect of some incompetent session guitarist taking the place of one of my most cherished musicians

Well, the first thing you wonder when you get the CD is the name of the album. Is it Of Human Bondage (as it says on the front cover), or is it The Human Bondage (as it is printed on the sides and track list)? The record company and the people who designed the cover art dont seem to know what the album is called. The cover art is a departure on the great, detailed hand-drawn artwork which we have been used to seeing on previous albums, and now we have a sinister digitally created Photoshop cover in a metallic style and which is sadly bland and boring, not to mention the quite horrible band portrait inside. Needless to say, the cover doesnt bode well for what is to come.

Forgetting the forgettable cover, the music itself is much more important. Recorded and produced at the same location, and by the same people as the last album, from the first few bars of music it is immediately evident that this is the typical Angel Dust sound production: loud and hard, which I always thought was a big plus, and I always loved their sound. It opens with the title track The Human Bondage (according to the track list), which is loud and hard-hitting, but not remarkable, and conspicuous in its lack of a serious guitar solo. Apart from chugging away, little Ritchie is not endearing himself to the listener at all. But the song itself is a non-starter, so we move on to the next, the first good song: Inhuman  hits hard and with a melodious chorus, its what the opening song should have been, and more like what weve come to expect from Angel Dust. The optimism fades with the next song, Unreal Soul which contains some embarrassing guitar work in what is an attempt at a solo. Disbeliever restores some belief, as it has nice melody and is a great Angel Dust song. Forever continues in the same vein, with a catchy theme, a great song but no guitar solo. Unite has good drumming, but is forgettable, as is Got this Evil, though it again has some nice rhythm. The Cultman is a complete and long-winded waste of time, beginning with a lengthy intro and developing into a lethargic and rather boring song. Freedom Awaits is the last great song, making a grand total on this album of 4 (hence my score), and showing us another glimpse of Angel Dust as a great band. The last track, a cover of Adamskis Killer originally sung by Seal, was a terrible and unnecessary addition to this album  the original was far better than this sickening attempt  and seemed to be a last-minute tack-on to what is actually quite a short album What a disappointment.

I conclude by saying that I was completely and utterly disgusted with the abilities of the pathetic new guitarist, who makes Kamelots guitarist look good by comparison. The total lack of a single guitar solo, never mind a decent one, is entirely unforgivable from a band that has extremely talented band members (and is known for excellent and memorable guitar work)  I mean, what in the hell made you choose this talentless guy who cant play a solo to save his life? Is it because he does what hes told? Is that why Aufermann left? Aufermann seems to have been the genius behind the previous releases, they are classics, and HE is what made them so memorable  which this album definitely is not. Angel Dust needs to rethink their approach. Sad but true.

I have to admit I passed on this album when it was first released. But after all of these years I finally checked it out & I'm glad I did! This album contains what you would expect from Angel Dust, but what I like about this album is that it is more rockin' than the last few albums & not always slow & melodic like the previous 2 albums before. I wouldn't say this album is "bland" by any means, the songs are a little simpler in their style but that's what helps makes it a great listen. I would highly recommend checking it out.

angel dust skew most of their power metal stuff on this cd and do a straigh ahead metal release that is often times very thrashy. The lyrics are not as corny this time around and the guitar tons are very very tight and clear. A extremely heavy cd for this type of band. I'll admit the riffs are mind blowing but they are very crunch and catchy and pummel you until the end of the song. And all the songs have catchy a chorus..very cool. I give it four stars and not five because this is their first cd that isns't really power metal and they haven't came into their heavy metal sound perfect yet. i'm sure their next release will be even better. Also, sometimes their singer sounds like ozzy. not good, at all.