|
Background Check: Old school power speed metal
quartet from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2004. The Sellsword is their first full-length and it follows a
2005 EP titled The Barbarian’s Hammer, which came out
through a label called Hot Dog City.
How About
the Cover? Why does every naked torso muscle bound fella reminds
me of the doofuses of Manowar? Anyway, I think that’s a Viking
on the cover. He’s got the most bloodshot eyes I have ever seen,
is wearing a helmet with horns and is wielding a bloody sword.
It looks like he just finished off a whole battalion. There is a
horny blonde holding onto his leg. She is hot. The likes of
which the dudes from Manowar can only dream of. Everyone knows
they only hook up with fat, drunken, toothless German bitches
from coal mining towns.
What’s It
Like? Every time I think about power metal I think about
the pussies of Hammerfall. Even though Dark Black sounds nothing
like those Swedish pussies, there is definitely a big quotient
of power metal in the art of Dark Black. But that’s not their
fault, it is mine.
Dark Black
scores points by not offering a polished recording that sounds
like it has been tracked in a space ship. The sounds of The Sellsword are raw and live. So much so, The
Sellsword could have
been recorded in the 70’s or in the first half of the 80’s and
it could have fit comfortably right next to early Rainbow.
There is absolutely nothing digital about this album, and that
alone, is a small victory these days.
Moreso, the
mix, though faulty and maybe rushed, it gives the songs certain
rawness that works well with the brilliance of the
instrumentation. Take the high pitch and totally power metal
vocals of Tim (their MySpace says, he provides ‘inspiring warcries’) for instance; his pipes are so buried in the mix that
he actually sounds like a ghost. In other moments, the metal is
so prevalent and fluid that Dark Black comes off as an
instrumental band.
The music
gallops with old school heavy metal balls. The riffs are pure
80’s power, with sticky melodies galore and notes so NWOBHM,
they could deflate the cheeks of Dave Murray faster than you can
say ‘Blaze Bailey sucked'. this is classy and classic stuff.
How Much
is It Worth? The Sellword is a solid well-rounded record
that on occasions approaches grandiosity. The speed contest on
“Breath of Fire” is nothing short of fucking awesome. It isn’t
perfect and Dark Black isn’t Iron Maiden, but approaching such
glory is nearly impossible. For now, Dark Black are great
contenders and guitar wise, this band has nothing to envy anyone.
Maybe vocally, the arrangements could have been better, but hell
do I enjoy songs like “…With Lightning Speed” more than 80% of
the death metal that’s out there.
MySpace
|
