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Dissection - The Somberlain review



Reviewer:
9.0

683 users:
8.62
Band: Dissection
Album: The Somberlain
Release date: December 1993


Disc I
01. Black Horizons
02. The Somberlain
03. Crimson Towers
04. A Land Forlorn
05. Heaven's Damnation
06. Frozen
07. Into Infinite Obscurity
08. In The Cold Winds Of Nowhere
09. The Grief Prophecy/Shadows Over A Lost Kingdom
10. Mistress Of The Bleeding Sorrow
11. Feathers Fell
12. Son Of The Mourning [Japanese bonus]

Disc II [2006 Re-release bonus]
01. Frozen [live]
02. The Somberlain [live]
03. Shadows Over A Lost Kingdom
04. Son Of The Mourning
05. Into Infinite Obscurity
06. Frozen
07. In The Cold Winds Of Nowhere
08. Feathers Fell
09. Mistress Of The Bleeding Sorrow
10. The Call Of The Mist
11. Severed Into Shreds
12. Satanized
13. Born In Fire

The Somberlain is the debut album from the highly influential blackened death metal band, Dissection. In the midst of all the second wave of black metal bands and melodic death metal bands, these guys stepped out and created what no other band had done at that time; bridging the gap between black metal and death metal and throwing in some melody. This was the key that brought these Swedish pioneers to the forefront of the underground metal scene.

The complexity of the music, the distinguishable melodies, and the haunting vocals of Jon Nödtveidt on The Somberlain are what set this band apart from every other blackened death metal band. Even in today's metal scene, with the countless amounts of bands doing the same style.

Another element with this album is the atmospheric presence. To me this means that when listening to the songs on the album you are just entranced and don't want to do anything other than sit back and enjoy what is coming out of your speakers. It just leaves you in a state of euphoria and makes you dumbfounded as to how a group of guys could produce such a masterful album that not even the likes of god could duplicate.

So if you are looking for an album that has a mixture of acoustic passages, black metal, death metal, melody and a haunting atmosphere then I highly suggest this album.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 9
Production: 8

Written by -Soulreaper- | 30.04.2009




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.


Comments

Comments: 9   Visited by: 130 users
01.02.2010 - 02:24
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Having some trouble to get into this one. Did not see anything so special about this album yet... sure its influential, but thats not a synonymous to Good.

But its just me, Black/Death, and most Melo-death get on my nerves...
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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30.03.2010 - 06:43
Rating: 9
Winterthrone

Man, this album is so awesome... Dissection was the perfect band... Jon Nödveit created the best Melo Black/Death there is...
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07.07.2010 - 18:22
oroboros

This is pure gold
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13.12.2010 - 09:00
BloodFireDeath

This album isn't for everyone
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Goodspeed on the Devils Thunder
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18.12.2010 - 16:59
Rating: 9
-Soulreaper-

Written by BloodFireDeath on 13.12.2010 at 09:00

This album isn't for everyone


True, but perhaps it should be.
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18.12.2010 - 17:41
vezzy
Stallmanite
Written by BloodFireDeath on 13.12.2010 at 09:00

This album isn't for everyone


What do you mean by that?
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Licensed under the GPLv3.
Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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18.12.2010 - 20:46
RavenKing

Written by vezzy on 18.12.2010 at 17:41

Written by BloodFireDeath on 13.12.2010 at 09:00

This album isn't for everyone


What do you mean by that?


Imo, the album is quite accessible. I know lots of people who are not Black Metal fans but enjoy Dissection.
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They shake your hand and they smile and they buy you a drink
They say we'll be your friends we'll stick with you till the end
But everybody's only looking out for themselves
And you say who can you trust I'll tell you nobody
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18.12.2010 - 21:26
Angelic Storm
Melodious
Written by RavenKing on 18.12.2010 at 20:46
Imo, the album is quite accessible. I know lots of people who are not Black Metal fans but enjoy Dissection.


That is very true. Normally with black metal I like, it takes me a few listens to get really into it. Like Mayhem's first album. But I instantly liked "The Somberlain". It's not really accessible, but it is for black metal. lol
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19.12.2010 - 20:37
BloodFireDeath

I'm not saying it from an elitist point of view. Its just that this album isn't for everyone who likes black or death metal. Its unique and it took me quite a while to understand and digest this release.
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Goodspeed on the Devils Thunder
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