Customer Reviews

Supervillain Outcast

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am not familiar with their previous release, "666 International". But if Supervillain Outcast is any indication, I'll be getting familiar with it very soon.

This is avant-garde music. It's black metal, but it's experimental. And what makes this album a gem, and one of the best of 2007 so far, is that the experimentation adds to the great songwriting rather than detracting from it with unecessary diversions and distractions. Each song is heavily layered and repeated listens will yield deeper connections to the music and a greater awareness of the complexities. But the songs still manage to come across as straightforward, fairly streamlined, and highly effective.

The album opens with "Dushman", a quirky little intro with vocals that build over a circus-y melody before "Vendetta Assassin" hits you with blastbeats and black metal riffing. But it's not typical black metal; there are varied vocal patterns and an interesting interplay between different vocal styles. "Foe X Foe" and "The Vile Delinquents" are prime examples of this. It's almost catchy. As the album moves on you'll notice (usually creepy) keyboards and electronic effects lying just behind the guitars and drums in the mix. They provide an element of electronica to the music, which is brought center-stage on songs like "Apocalypticism" and "All Is Not Self". Also, the album is broken up with three short interludes mostly consisting of vocal harmonies over scattered electronic noise. In a word, they're chilling. Not disturbing, maybe beautiful, but only that dark romantic sort of way. Whatever they are, they set the mood and keep the pacing very well.

This album took some time to grow on me. I liked what I heard from the get-go, but it took at least five listens before my appreciation grew to the point of love. I consider that grow-factor one of this album's strong suits. A great album is supposed to stick with you, to your core, and that's what Supervillian Outcast has done, it's stuck into me. These songs are catchy, yet powerful. See "The Snuff Dreams Are Made Of", "All Is Not Self", and "21st Century Devil". And that's really what makes DHG so wonderful, because I think this album should appeal to everyone, fans of trve Black Metal, burgeoning BM fans who dig stuff like Dimmu Borgir, and fans of experimental music alike.

In short, get this album. It's important, it's engaging, and it's simply the coolest album I've heard in a long time. The lyrics are great, too.

I have to say when I first listened to this I was ...like what is this?!!! I honestly was going to nix if off my 'pod.. then as I gave it chance..a real chance..I became addicted...strange like "heavy rotation" addicted. Really good creative, deep metal. Unlike anything I've heard. Avant is correct but amazing mixture.

Cool.

Wow. That's what I said when I heard this. Blackened Thrash Death metal. Oh, but not "plain and simple". There is truly something unique and exciting going on here. Starting off with the Dushman track, which is from an Indian movie!, you know somethings about to hit you. The drums! Oh joy! When they slam into you on the second track and it begins to groove a little bit, then you know!

I can try to describe this masterpiece, but if you like the pure cold sound of blackened death metal, combined with some sampling on occasion, prog interludes, and even a techno interlude, and just brain-food together with blastbeats, you have come to the right place, my friend.

BUY

Very interesting, takes a bit to get used to the new singer, and not really black metal anymore but these guys are definately artists. absolutely original(except for the guitar line on trk 9 stolen from diabolical masquerade).very heavy, with very strange electronic elements perfectly sewn throughout. you would never expect the sounds and arrangements they throw together to sound so natural but somehow they make it work. nothing else like it.

If you like innovative experimental avant garde black metal in the same vein as Solefald,Sturmgeist,Borknagar and Arcturus then I highly recommend this album!

As the previous reviewers said,the DHG's music style takes time to grow on you.Its very selfish and very non-conforming,but that is exactly what makes it more unique and appealing once you listen to it properly.It takes time to warm up to it,but once you start getting into the details of it,you just love all the little touches they put in their songs,the weird harmonies and out of whack rhythm.It really is an insane trip and I would consider this and their previous release "International 666" a madmans diary,a journey to the end of sanity.There's no poser stuff here.Everything is meat and bones and these guys make their music as they feel it.Raw,brutal and melodic at the same time without following any trends.A must buy.

This is NOT black metal, so do not call it that. When i listen to this cd it feels like some screamo/hardcore band. If you want to listen to "hardcore" buy a glass casket cd or something...Black metal is dead, unfortunately. Hoest from Taake is too busy trying to be crazy so he will be in jail again and Valfar from Windir is dead and so is Black Metal.