Customer Reviews

Storm of the Light's Bane: Where Dead Angels Lie

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dissection combined their thrash and black metal influence with their ability to write a darkly-hued melody and infused it with the cold grim atmosphere of a pitch black winter night to produce an absolutely killer album of stunning songs! the guitars are heavy with distortion, but quite clear and brimming with razor sharp riffs and crazy fast tremelo picking. the drums bounce along with fierce precision and the bass dominates a cold dark audio space. Jon Nodtreidt's vocals are really incredible, they are deep and buried just right in the mix so that they don't stand out too much; but rather act as a compliment to all the other instruments.
this album begins with the intro "At The Fathomless Depths", and it signals that something big is about to happen...and it does! "Night's Blood" kicks in with a very fast drum roll which propels the song into it's fierce riff and the results are simply electrifying. from there on, it's just a non stop barrage of heavy melodies, brutal thrashing, catchy hooks, and great acoustic interludes. this album is a classic of modern metal and deserves it's place right alongside the landmark releases of Slayer's Reign In Blood or Metallica's Master Of Puppets!

I have just recently got into one of the biggest Swedish Black/Death Metal bands ever-Dissection. I saw this CD at my local CD shop and just had to have it. I popped it in my CD player, and the rest is history.

Blending beautiful harmonics and lightning fast riffs and solos with amazing drum skill, this is Black Metal's finest ablum. This band is so great, it never fails to keep me amazed. The thing about Dissection though, is not only that the music is great, but they don't feel the need to have solos in simply every song. They do have solos and some very good guitar work, but it is not formulaic black metal. I hear a lot of that today, and I think its a damn shame.

Jon Nodtveidt (Rhythm/Lead Guitar/Vocals/Acoustic) - He is a very good guitarist that writes truly beautiful and haunting melodies which sends chills down your spine, and does some great acoustic work throughout the songs. He is one of death metals greatest vocalist with his raspy, screaming vocals and well-written lyrics. The thing I have noticed though, is that some of the lyrics are written in a story-like mode. Wierd, but cool. Johan Norman (rhythm guitar) - He is average and can play pretty fast. Not much else to say about him though. Peter Palmdahl (Bass) - Very decent, but...I don't know. Not much else to say about either. His only true shining moment is in "Thorns of Crimson Death", where he does a few Bass solos. Ole Olhman (Drums) - He is absolutely amazing at what he does. he is one of the greatest drummers I have ever heard. He can double bass as fast as Dave Lombardo, and does very good technical work, with great fills and perfect timing. He can do whats known as a blastbeat faster than anybody I have ever heard. Simply f**king amazing.

Now for the songs:
1."At The Fathomless Depths" - A nearly two-minute guitar intro. Sounds very evil and haunting and will send chills down you spine every time you listen to it. Seems kind of pointless though. (6/10)

2."Night's Blood" - Incredible drum work and fast guitars. Probably my third most favorite song. (10/10)

3."Unhallowed" - This song is what got me into this band, and also happens to be one of their most popular. Great song with impressive drumwork, truly evil lyrics, and great harmonic solos. (10/10)

4."Where Dead Angels Lie" - Like I said, the lyrics in this song are sung almost as if it was like a fairy tale. A very evil fairytale! My second most favorite song. (10/10)

5."Retribution - Storm of the Lights Bane" - Very good song with, once again, good drumwork. (9/10)

6."Thorns of Crimson Death" - Great 8 minute song with no dull moments, good acoustic intro, probably the least impressive drumwork, but still nothing short of awesome. My most favorite song on the album. Sends really cold chills down your spine throughout the whole song. (10/10)

7."Soulreaper" - My least favorite on the album. Still a great song though. (7/10)

Overall: (62/70)-A very good album that is recommeded for fans of underground Black Metal, or Black Metal fans in general.

Also featured is two insturmental piano peices (one with just piano, the other with piano, a little bit of guitar, and whispering vocals), a demo version of "Where Dead Angels Lie", a cover song of Tormentor's "Elizabeth Bathory," and a cover of Slayer's "The Antichrist". Thanks for reading.

The first thing you'll notice about Dissection's sound compared to other BM bands is that the overall sound is more melodic, coupling Iron Maiden-like guitar harmonizations with icy acoustic guitars. There is a very prevalant "Gothenburg", melodic death influence present here. The songwriting here is among some of the best I've seen on a black metal album, all songs twist and turn through passages of varying tempos, top-notch drumwork, and melodic guitars with Jon Nodtveidt's wintry rasp overlying the chilling, wintry sound. The production suits this, using a lot of unseen reverbs and echoes to give a remote feeling of desolation among barren winter plains. It seems that every song somehow on here is memorable with its intricacies behind the drumset, freezing cold guitars and atmosphere, and the beautiful yet grim lyrics and artwork. "Storm of the Light's Bane" is an experience that the listener will never forget, for it is an album that will freeze you from the inside-out and speak to you even after you've turned it off. It's one of those CD's to just relax to and soak in. The music does all the talking., and it's simply beautiful.

1. At the Fathomless Depths- A chilling guitar intro leads us into our journey... This will freeze you to the bone.

2. Night's Blood- A ripping, thrashy opener with mercyless drumwork and an anthemic nature in the chorus. It soon cuts out into acoustic guitars and sorrowful melodies before busting into the speedy chorus once more. A truly amazing song. 5/5

3. Unhallowed- A straight-forward slice of melodic BM with entrancing guitars, a hateful yet wintry atmosphere, and some great melodic soloing near the middle in the slow section. A Dissection classic.

4. Where Dead Angels Lie- An ice-cold pseudo-ballad with some of the best guitar work on the album, haunting lyrics, and a chorus that will stick in your head. Probably Dissection's most well-known song. 5/5

5. Retribution: Storm of the Light's Bane- Great drumwork here, and a simple but effective chorus. I believe this to be one of the best BM songs ever recorded. An aggressive call to arms. 5/5

6. Thorns of Crimson Death- A haunting 8-minute epic with a sorrowful atmosphere and spellbinding guitar work that will leave you speechless. Probably one of the best tracks on the album. 5/5

7. Soulreaper- My personal favorite. Great drumwork and melodic riffing, and the atmosphere oozing from this song is nearly overwhelming. Amazing lyrics as well. 5/5

8. No Dreams Breed in Breathless Sleep- A haunting piano outro ends our journey... Gives the listener a tranquil mood.

Simply put, "Storm of the Light's Bane" is some of the best black metal to ever be recorded. If you consider yourself a fan of black metal or melodeath, this is essential to your collection, along with Satyricon's "The Shadowthrone" and Emperor's "In the Nightside Eclipse". This is freezing, grim, sorrowful black metal with merits shining on all levels. A truly emotional experience. I got the digipak version of this, which includes the "Where Dead Angels Lie" EP, which has the demo version of track 4, and a killer cover of Slayer's "The Anti-Christ", as well as some other quality tracks. I highly reccommend this band to ANY metalhead, for this is top-notch metal.

Dissection is an example of a Black Metal band that keeps with the ultra heavy Black Metal sound, but manages to be melodic enough, and unique enough, to impress people who are not huge Black Metal fans. Therefore, this is one of those releases within that genre, that everyone should own. This music is truly chilling and draws the listener in to a dynamic landscape of sound. Although I am also a fan of newer, more mainstream Black Metal groups such as Dimmu Borgir and Old Man's Child, this CD is a timeless masterpiece of a genre that has made a significant imprint on heavy metal sound as a whole.

The easiet way to describe this album is to say it's got death metal elements and black metal elements. Unlike a lot of black metal, the production here is clear and smooth, you can hear everything. Also unlike a lot of black metal bands, the singer does not stay in that high pitched scream, he is very versatile (as far as this genre goes anyway). Also, unlike other black metal bands, keyboards are not the focus here.

The musical arrangements are very mature and well thought out. The riffs are in your face and they also keep them rather catchy, which is suprising for this type of music. After listening to this, you will remember what you heard. Please be aware that this is catchy for black/death metal. Don't go into this album expecting some bland hard rock tunes or you WILL be dissapionted. But if you've heard about this band and listen to this type of music then odds are your not looking for radio rock anyway so no problem there. Some of the songs are long epics but the fast paced feel keeps your interests peaked. Otheres are shorter tracks, just your standard length you would except from most bands.

Although it's epic, I wouldn't go as far to say it's actually progessive in that since. It's really just straight foward death/black metal. There is plenty of acoustic guitar but they don't stray off into it for long periods of time, like Opeth. They mostly use to mix things up, keep the melody going since this album is pretty brutal.

All in all, if you like black metal or death metal, then i'm sure you won't be dissapointed by this great release. bye bye.

Trying to mind their unfortunate history, Dissection is a prime example of genuine Melodic Death/Black Metal in my case. The beauty of Melodic Death mixed with the intricacy of Black is too tasteful to believe. I think of them as Death Metal with a shake of *Black* Pepper.

During the winter of 2004 I stumbled across the cover of this CD and found it to be very interesting above the positive reviews. I knew I had to check them out after reading very little about them, so after a few samples I was already hooked, namely on "Where Dead Angels Lie" and "Thorns Of Crimson Death. By the way, the lyrics are always fulfilling and Jon is always on top of his game vocal/guitar wise.

-"Unhallowed" starts with a cool and speedy riff. Three and a half minutes in we are treated with cool solos, which is always a good thing. Near six minutes it slows down to sweet acoustic playing, but erupts back up to the last catchy riff.
-"Where Dead Angels Lie" charges through with well done playing by everyone, that is, till Jon tears things up the way he always does it perfectly. I love the particularly brief solos like at 1:57 and at 2:10. The one at 3:20 is the grandest of them, which leads into Opeth-esque atmosphere (Even though Opeth came out with their debut the same year this did). It roars out like a banshee scream and with bats flying out a cave. Truly a great track.
-"Thorns Of Crimson Death" is my favorite one on here. I especially love the way it starts with simple plucks and rides along afterwards with the great riff. Everything here is top notch from beginning to end. Drumming gets super speedy at points and falls down to acoustic playing after a bunch of explosions. Starts clear again with another great riff that leads onto my favorite solo on the album. This then heads back to the main riff of the song, which exits terrifically.
-"No Dreams Breed In Breathless Sleep" is a peaceful piano instrumental. Of course I'm not all classical but this suits extremely well on this album with the songs previous and after. It feels superbly fitting and comfortable to be on here.

So I guess now I should recommend this to you. The production may be stale to some people, but it is by all means bearable and is done in the best manner. It would be a wise choice to pick -Storm Of The Light's Bane- anyway you can. Undeniably an unheard Swedish classic reigning supreme right under our noses.

This is one of the best albums ever made. If you are into black metal, go pick this up immediately if you don't have it.
Dissections final masterpiece--Guitar work is outstanding. Great catchy dark melodic riffs that make you want go stand by a heater because they're soo COLD! You can almost feel the ice dripping out of your headphones!
Vocals are exceptional as always with the legendary Dissection. This band pioneered high pitched wailing that is now extremely common in black metal.
This album also is very diverse in that it strays from the harsh realm of distortion into the bleak mists of acoustic guitar interludes. I love that.
The bonus version of this CD is THE ONE to buy! You get bonus covers and an amazing re-done version of one of Dissection's early death metal songs as the last track! WHAT A GREAT WAY TO END AN ALBUM!
This is one of those Cds you can always listen to. If you want to hear amazing melodic black metal, pick this up. I also recommend THY PRIMORDIAL!

This is the ultimate Dissection. The cream of their crop. My favourite songs are Retribution - Storm Of The Light's Bane and Thorns Of Crimson Death. Retribution is especially good to listen to at night when you're in a really dark mood.

Of course, all of the songs are great. This album is the hair on the balls of death/black metal. Jon (the frontman for those new to Dissection) may have made some disagreeable turns in his life, but he was a damn good musician.

Storm of the Light's Bane is a classic. If you are a fan of extreme heavy metal and you have not heard this record yet, then buy this along with "The Somberlain" as quick as you can. You are missing out on some of two of the best metal records ever recorded.

Every song on this record is a keeper. I really can't think of anything bad to say about this record. "Night's Blood" is one of the best songs ever recorded.

Storm Of The Light's Bane is probably one of black metal's best, and without a doubt most talented black metal records ever. Dissection is one of black metal's best and most talented black metal bands ever known. The vocals done by Jon Nodveldt (or however you spell it) are truly eerie, haunting, and downright awesome. The melodies weaved into this album are truly beautiful and haunting (especally in the song Night's Blood). The heaviness works in the perfect way, as well as the drumming that display speed and perfection. The ripping leads never lack precision and dynamics as well as being varied and not anywhere close to being too repetative. The songs are listed below (in digipak form, including the Where Dead Angels Lie demo and two cover songs):

1.) At the Fathomless Depths: Truly eerie guitar work, and it gets you ready for the rest of the album (5/5)
2.) Night's Blood: A Dissection masterpeice that displays melody, heaviness, and haunting vocals (5/5)
3.) Unhallowed: A great track, but aa little less complex than the rest of the album (4/5)
4.) Where Dead Angels Lie: Beautiful melodic intro, as well as catchy lead guitars (5/5)
5.) Retribution - Storm Of the Light's Bane: Very good, truly underated by most Dissection fans (4/5)
6.) Thorns Of Crimson Death: Very eerie and beautiful intro, awesome drumming and guitar work here (5/5)
7.) Soulreaper: One of this album's rawer tracks, but heavy and awesome nonetheless (4/5)
8.) No Dreams Breed In Breathless Sleep: The whole song is piano and nothing else, just makes up atmosphere I guess (2/5)
9.) Where Dead Angels Lie (Demo Version): Not a whole lot different from the original, just longer (5/5)
10.) Elizabeth Bathory: A cover song originally done by Tormentor. Somewhat bland, but pretty good overall (3/5)
11.) The Antichrist: Another cover originally done by Slayer, this is Dissection does a very good job and this a highlight of the album (5/5)
12.) Feathers Fell: Another short piano track much like No Dreams Breed In Breathless Sleep, but with some whispering vocals (2/5)
13.) Son Of Mourning: The rawest track on the album, very black metal vocals on this one. Totally awesome though (5/5)