Customer Reviews

Rusted Angel

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As I've mentioned before I'm perhaps inordinately hard on the music I review so I don't dole out five star ratings with great frequency. It's so rare these days to find an album that is without flaw. This album, Darkane's Rusted Angel release, is one such collection of music. It embodies everything I've come to expect from a metal album. Its intensity and beauty are on par with any of the timeless Death or Black metal releases, if it doesn't supersede them entirely. Masterfully merging brutal chaos and haunting beauty the quintet has obviously poured the entirety of their beings into this release to create their magnum opus. More impressive still is that this is the groups debut album. Lyrically Darkane shows more intelligence and eloquence than most bands. The lyrics, written by guitarist Christofer Malmstrom and drummer Peter Wildoer, are performed with great passion and conviction by Lawrence Mackrory. Utilizing the full extent of his staggering vocal range, Mackrory runs the gamut from a high pitched shriek, like that of a tortured banshee, to a guttural growl like the choking embrace of death itself. He fluctuates through this amazing collection of voices in nearly every track. Percussion virtuoso Peter Wildoer infuses each track with vibrant originality with his constant rhythm changes. This not only keeps every track fresh, it gives the individual songs a level of memorability and catchiness not often seen in metal these days. Lastly, the ordering of the CD is magnificent. You'll want to load the album and play it from begining to end so as not to interupt the flow of emotion expressed within. The many layers of the music will join together to take you on a tour of your own capacity for emotion. Fluctuating from the tumultuous onslaught of Convicted and the July 1999 to the surreal tranquility of The Arcane Darkness it will leave you speechless before the might of the new masters of all metal, Darkane. Easily the best CD of '99. Definitely the best CD I've ever heard!

I am a large fan of Swedish metal. Be it melodic death metal such as In Flames, Dark Tranquillity or Hypocrisy, or technical heavy metal such as Pain of Salvation and Meshuggah, or be it a guitar god such as Yngwie Malmsteen, over 50% of my entire CD collection is devoted to Sweden. Also, the gods of ALL music hail from Sweden...you know that I am referring to Opeth.

When I first heard about Darkane, I was told that this band is extremely technical and tight. I was told that from beginning to end, "Rusted Angel" was an album that is a sonic barrage that displays great instrumental virtuosity and intensity. Also, the lyrics were reasonably intelligent and the production and professionalism of this band was top notch.

When I finally purchased the CD, I was truly impressed. Darkane has very technical musicians who can ALSO inject their music with life and intensity, and although all of the musicians are incredible, drummer Peter Wildoer has to be the sickest drummer I have ever heard in any genre of music, ever. This man is unbelievable, and it clear to see that Meshuggah (perhaps the world's most technically and rhythmically complex band) was a big influence on Darkane.

I am eagerly awaiting many releases over the next six month year period, including Opeth's "Blackwater Park" and Yngwie J. Malmsteen's "War to End All Wars." However, Darkane's second album is going to be released soon, and if it is anything like the first one, it will be amazing. If it is even better, well...it will stand amongst the greatest metal albums of all time, and will probably remain one for hundreds of years to come.

All hail Darkane.

If you are a fan of Arch Enemy, In Flames, or Meshuggah, pick this disc up instantly. Every song is grand and well put together. Vocals can get a bit annoying at times, but technicality and talent make up for it rather nicely. This is, in my opinion, one of the best metal albums of '99.

Infinity Driven (ICQ 42007137)

I have one word for Darkane's Rusted Angel disc, "Wow"! It is sad that this is one of those excellent bands with little exposure, that may go unnoticed by most metal fans. Some advice, metalheads. Go out and buy Metal Maniacs magazine, look at every page, and every band you see in advertisements, or reviews, etc., come to Amazon and see if they have samples. I did this for Darkane. Rusted Angel is one of the most satisfying metal CDs I have bought in the last couple of years. I recently got into In Flames and Dark Tranquility, and now I am addicted to the so called "Swedish Sound" of metal. At the Gates fits in here also, except their metal is a bit faster. But on Rusted Angel, Darkane combines elements of these other bands. "Intro" is an aggressive powerhouse of opera and symphonic elements, and thunderous drumming. By the way, this drummer is insane, executing rhythm changes that keep each song fresh and new. I couldn't find two songs that sounded alike. The riffs and melodic touches are infectious. I was impressed with the singer's voice, kind of a scream, screech, with some growling thrown in also. Trust me. I am not an expert in death metal, in fact I don't care much for most death metal. So if you like any of the bands I mentioned earlier, I guarantee you will dig Darkane. I can't stop listening to it. I pray that this band stays together and releases new material. Nothing short of global domination for this band.

''Oh My F***in GOD'' !!!!!!! well this is kinda the first thought that came up to me when the first tracks blew my stereo to smitherenes. wich doesn't neccesarily mean I believe in a God but if I would these guys would come close to it, Gods of Metal that is...

I'm used to a lot but this remains pretty awesome metal OMFG!!!
Funny thing is, I bought this album right after it came out in 1999, it was rated best album of some month by the leading Dutch metalmag so i bought it without hestitation. Here's the joke, I didn't like it, found it ''too brutal'' for my senses wich were just gettin used to the Britney-like metal of Metallica, I mean the 'Black Album' was the most extreme thing I'd ever heard at that time. So naturally everything that outclassed it by a landslide was too hard for my sensitive ears. The intro of Rusted Angel did make a lasting impression though (cause it hadn't them brutally awesome vocals),so in my mind I couldn't let go of this album although I didn't like it. I said to myself SOME DAY I will be ready to appreciate the soundtsunami I just heard...

So that time has come ,after almost 7 YEARS !!! Just by accident I suddenly remembered a cd in the farthest corner of my reck wich I'd only touched once. After removing them thick cobwebs I anxiously inserted it into my stereo and ... well... who said Black Album and classic ?? Never heard of it!! This music just sears trough my brains man leaving some heavy marks !! Ok maybe not as well as SLAYER (no one can outclass GOD can't they ?) but this DARKANE just keeps blastin man, constantly improving in awesome-ness after every session!!!

I'm about to purchase there latest album so I'm all excited now! ...

Darkane is yet another melodic metal band to come from Sweden. For me thats no problem. I enjoy nearly all of the bands in that category since they all seem to bring something original to the genre. If your a fan of The Haunted, The Crown, Defleshed or Soilwork then you'll love Darkane, and I probably could say without question. The bands love of Meshuggah is pretty obvious, they've stated it quite a few times in interviews and it carries over heavily into their music. The choppy start/stop style works well with their brand of thrash and Peter Wildoer is a really damn good drummer. Daniel Bergstrand (who produced Meshuggah and SYL) manages to get a very harsh and grinding sound out of them, also very effective with the music. Their newer album Insanity provides more of the same without changing things around too much but after hearing this you'll undoubtably want more. Also check out guitarist Ide's other band Terror 2000 for more amazingly well done modern thrash metal. You'll be very glad you did

I think the international community ought to proclaim Sweden the next superpower. Perhaps not militarily but certainly in a musical sense. Yet again the Swedish Gods deliver forth another fine specimen of deadly music. DARKANE are one of the latest in a slew of newcomers playing a polished variety of Death/Thrash that is hard to compete with. It is at once clear that DARKANE has a lot in common with their neighbor ARCH ENEMY. The two bands share not only a common sound direction but even stylistically they are on par with eachother, right down to the very professional lead guitar playing and frenetic technical riffage. Being the ARCH ENEMY fan that I am I fell for Rusted Angel from the very start. From its haunting intro the album ignites with flaming, classic Swedish melodic Death Metal, all the while supported by fantastic song architecture and rock-solid musicianship. Hell, the only real difference between DARKANE and ARCH ENEMY are the vocals which I'm sorry to say, bring DARKANE down a bit in places. I can respect the band for not following the trend of demonic growling but substituting that for some high-pitched screeches doesn't thrill me either. There are times on this album though where vocalist Lawrence Mackrory implements a signing approach and it works quite well. I'd like to hear more of that in the future rather than the ear-shattering screams he currently emits. If you can focus on the music itself, you'll be highly impressed I'm sure. Its a mixture of quick-n-speedy riffing and mid-paced melodic guitar strafing with some killer drumming really driving the band's message home. There is excellent songwriting all the way around and the more you listen the more you appreciate what's been done here.

A nicely illustrated and packaged disc this is. Again, the professionalism is blinding and DARKANE, should they stay the course, will undoubtedly find themselves leading the charge in the Swedish underground. I'd say this is definately one of the better albums of 1998. Get your hands on it. Once you do, you won't let go.

After completing my Darkane collection with this album and Expanding Senses, I can safely say they are one of my very favorite bands. I was able to see them live a couple years ago with SYL, Soilwork, and Fear Factory. They were awesome live, just like on record. Rusted Angel is just sweet, and I can see why some people would say this is their best album. Each one of their albums has something new and different to offer. This one is more all-out thrash than something like Expanding Senses which is a little more reigned in. There's really nothing more I can say about this album, except buy it. It's heavy as hell, not for the weak of heart. Just buy all their albums. I don't see myself living without any of them. I can't wait to hear what the next album with the new vocalist will be like. Enjoy!

EXCELLENT ALBUM EVER FROM DARKANE - KILLER VOICE AND SPEED !!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO ALL !!! WELL DONE KILLER ALBUM !!!

Intelligent, intricate, melodic thrash, with absolutely incredible vocals by Lawrence Mackrory. Well produced-- I use this CD to test new audio systems.

This is the CD I play when I want to make my neighbors nervous... when Morbid Angel and Meshugga are too soft. When Soilent Green and Cannibal Corpse are too slow and Goatwhore and Death are too soothing. This CD makes Six Feet Under sound like Brian Gumble on karaoki night. It makes Slayer sound like the Mormon Boy's Choir.

They might try to be too pompous with the orchestrations and too serious/literal with the lyrics (definitely not Ana1 C*nt.) But then let's see you write something in Swedish.