Band:	Weakling
Album:	Dead As Dreams
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	2000

01. Cut Their Grain And Place Fire Therein
02. Dead As Dreams
03. This Entire Fucking Battlefield
04. No One Can Be Called As A Man While He'll Die
05. Disasters In The Sun

Weakling are one of the most important bands in the United States Black metal scene. Dead As Dreams, their post-mortem debut album, is both emotionally riveting and intensely raw. And although it is hard to get because of its limited release, with five songs clocking in over 75 minutes, it's worth every penny!

Weakling's main characteristic is their frequent juxtaposing of galloping and droning riffs. They run off into a blood-hungry battlefield-riff just as easy as they dwell in drawn-out multi-layered drones. But there's more.

Starting off with "Cut Their Grain And Place Fire Therein", with its ten-minutes the shortest track on the album, you immediately know you're in for a treat. The distortion is raw and ravished, the production likewise and the mood is set. A lead guitar gradually becomes more prominent until it evolves into an ugly, dirty solo. The title track is next and - clocking in at twenty minutes - the longest track. It starts off with a gray, hazily-distorted intro, which is surprisingly beautiful after the rage and ugliness of the opener. It quickly morphs back into pure hatred again, though, only allowing the listener a quick breath. And we continue this way - intense Black metal alternated by sections of beauty and / or calmness. The great thing about Weakling is that the raging Black metal still sounds beautiful and the calm parts still sound bleak and wretched.

My only point of criticism focuses on the vocals. John Gossards screeches are definitely not among the best the genre has to offer. Often yelling rather than screaming, he sounds weak and occasionally even awful. But looking at it from a different angle, he does fit with the general concept and music of Weakling. It'll just take a while to get used to them.

Dead As Dreams is an incredibly varied release which never drags during the entire seventy-five minutes. They go from droning to raw and wild to epic to heart-wrenching in a matter of moments. Although it has the sound of a Second Wave worshipper, it is actually quite progressive at heart. Weakling's Dead As Dreams is a captivating album and a must-check for the seasoned Black metal fan. It's one of those albums you have to hear while sitting in a comfy chair, in the dark, with full volume. Then you'll know what it is like to be dead but dreaming...