Customer Reviews

Twilight Dominion

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

 

 

This cd kicks your Arse from the beginningn to the end. I'm sick of the messed up reviews on this site. This is metal. The only thing I dont like about this band is that General Diabolical Slaughter didn't do all their cds. But he did this one and if you ask me he is one of the greatest metal singers ever. The man could do celtic frost, exodus, and he's got the scream to hit the high notes in Overkill. Give some respect to real metal. Its been overpowered by radio HIT song bands like nickleback and crap like that. We need stuff like this on the radio and on tv. Or at least it needs to be heard of and not just by a few guys that like to explore for good metal. Don't put a bad review on a great album.

Bought it new for a price you couln't resist. The cd jewels case have a little crack probably done on it way here. My favorite Usurper Album for $5 new! Thanks guys!

So the album is a little repititive.
Who cares? Usurper pour out well written and thought out tunes easily. This cd is better than Cryptobeast by a good bit because the riffs are so stinkin' badass. Take some initiative and buy a good cd, for instance, this one.

At times, these guys are only interested in writing a groove-riff and riding it into the ground. That may sound like a bad thing, but the riffs are pretty good overall, not overly complicated or progressive, but Metal nonetheless. As for the review here that noted that there are zero cymbal crashes, he was partly right. They are here, but they are almost completely smothered in favor of a more thunderous approach. You can barely hear any cymbal work at all most times, the double-bass kicks and muted Tommy Gun drum kit sound dominating throughout the album. All this combined with the crunching guitars, which are the most notable and memorable parts to be sure, makes for some heavy Heavy Metal. The drum sound is weak, but not the drumming itself. The best parts of this album are when the guitars find a groove and simply dare you not to bang your head. Good luck. As for the guitar solos(brief as they are), I actually enjoyed them when they occured, but these guys seem to prefer playing multiple bone-crushing riffs, instead. The vocals are decent and made even more memorable with frequent studio tricks, echoes and sustained screams; sometimes pretending to invoke imaginary audience participation such as "Hey! Hey! Hey!" which is actually fun stuff. Overall, this is a solid Heavy Metal album with plenty of riffs to sustain any Metal Head on those dark evenings alone.

After seeing this record was produced by Neil Kernon my heart sank. Indeed, my fears were justified as this recording displays the incredibly weak, annoying sound he also inflicted upon Macabre. The difference is that I thought that WAS Macabre's sound, but now it's clear Neil is the one to blame. The guitars are pretty huge and crunchy, they are given the lion's share of the mix, but the drums...oh my the drums...why would anyone in their right mind make a drumkit sound like a cheap drum machine? There's no freaking CYMBALS on this dang record!!! Did someone forget to unmute some channels there or what? How do you get a drum sound this weak? It doesn't even sound like a guy is playing a kit. No bass, no body, no reverb - it's a tragedy.

Usurper is a great old school metal band but to punish their music with this plastic-sounding recording is really sad. I bet this whole thing was recorded with Pro Tools. Metal needs big fat analog tape, it needs punchy bass warmth, not this cold, sterile, overly clean crap digital sound. I feel sorry for their drummer, as whatever he may or may not have played on here has been completely annihilated.

Go listen to a real drumkit sometime. With no amplification. What you hear will sound nothing like the drivel Neil Kernon offers you on this disc. It's a real shame. Luckily Usurper's older material, while a bit rough, doesn't suffer from this horrid treatment.

I don't really know what this band is characterized as, but it is cool. at times it sounds like Anthrax, and the lead singer grunts like the lead singer of Ancient, and the number 8 song has riffs reminiscent of "Midnight Mountain" by Cathedral. as for your negative reviews on "Cryptobeast", I personally wouldn't put it down. there's an old saying: do not criticize the coffee, because you may be old and weak yourself someday, or something like that,and as for the gent that criticized Neil Kernon, if you think his producing sucks, why don't you produce an album someday and see how it comes out.