Dark Fortress - Ylem - review
Dark Fortress - Ylem - review
Tracklist
01. Ylem02. As The World Keels Over
03. Osiris
04. Silence
05. Evenfall
06. Redivider
07. Satan Bled
08. Hirundineans
09. Nemesis
10. The Valley
11. Wraith
12. Sycamore Trees [bonus]
A review by
KwonVerge October 03, 2010
On this new attempt a darker air is distinctive, the overall atmosphere breathes something either menacing or with the essence of a pleasant nightmare, no matter how contradictive this may sound. The guitars apart from the railway or more upbeat groovy moments offer some really wonderful and inspired melodies, chords, even solos and every now and then you are able to cherish some very interesting passages that evoke a sense of distress or a more oriental vibe. Seraph behind the drumkit delivers an awesome performance with a wide variety of tempos and techniques. Very often, thanks to the very good production, you get to listen to some well-thought ideas that actually make the composition more complex and above all, they partake in the atmosphere since they add this something that will lend another air to the way it flows.
Larynx: The larynx (plural larynges), commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the neck of mammals involved in protecting the trachea and sound production. It manipulates pitch and volume. The larynx houses the vocal folds, which are an essential component of phonation.
Morean definitely owns a gifted one as he offers a multifaceted interpretation behind the microphone ranging from growls to grunting lines and boiling recites and I have to admit I pretty much enjoy his sardonic laughs, the ough-s and the various spit-like parts. In "Wraith" (and a bit on "Evenfall" and the bonus track as well) we also get a glimpse of melodic singing with clean, high-pitched or more hoarsing vocals which is quite interesting nevertheless! And who knows maybe we'll get to see a different face of the band in the future.
All in all, Ylem is a very good album having a lot to say in terms of inspiration, melodic aggression and atmosphere, slowing down and speeding up depending on the song, with the keyboards making their appearance without overabusing the sound of the band, after all the guitars, the drumming and the vocals work on that factor, the keyboards just enrich the overall climate. Yet, the album may tire a bit at times since along with the bonus track it reaches 74 minutes, there are only a few albums of such length that manage not to make you feel distracted by anything else since they devour you in all manners, Ylem succeeds in that only under mood conditions (it may reach 9/10).
And so as to conclude, the fans of the band won't get dissapointed, at least I think so, personally I am satisfied, Ylem is a sincere effort on behalf of Dark Fortress that definitely keeps their course above the vast sea of mediocrity.
Highlights:
-The title-track that grabs the listener from the face in the very beginning with the awesome arch riff.
-"As The World Keels Over" that works as a drug with the seducing, floating guitar melody.
-"Osiris", the marching menace.
-"Evenfall" with its epic vibe.
-"Nemesis" and its clinical atmosphere.
-"Wraith", the hallucinating gas chamber.
-"Hirundineans" and its groove.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 9 |
Comments
Comments:
25
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| Valaskjalf
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Posts: 5068 Written by [user id=98889] on 03.10.2010 at 10:43 Damn, i made a little change that doesn't refer to someone having done the clean vocals, it just says that there are clean vocals  Thanks mate!
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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Posts: 5068 Written by Merchant of Doom on 03.10.2010 at 12:01 How does it feel being in heaven?
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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Account deleted Written by KwonVerge on 03.10.2010 at 11:33 No problem, dude!
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Osiris is one gem of a Black Metal song. Kicks major ass from start to finish. Awesome album. I'd give it a 9, personally. Still, excellent review.
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This album is good. Very good. I probably would never have discovered it without this review, so cheers DerRozzengarten! 
---- You can't fight evil with a macaroni duck!
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@Ander: it reaches 9 to me under circumstances  cheers!@Derwood: You' re welcome, i'm really glad you enjoy the album so much!
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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Posts: 53 Written by Ander on 03.10.2010 at 16:23 As The World Keels Over just edges in front for me personally  but you cant call it i proper black metal song though...
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Great review mate, Dark Fortress is my favorite BM band so I enjoyed reading this I woulda give this album a 9 too. favorite songs here are Osirirs, Evenfall and Wraith 
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Posts: 45 Written by muska on 04.10.2010 at 13:18 True, it's more of a progressive BM song with hints of Death Metal in the groove and vocals. It still has the spite and anger of raw Black Metal, though. Their vocalist is an absolute beast, and he really shines on Osiris. As The Word Keels Over is awesome too, anyway!
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Posts: 1941
Don't like it at all. Really not my kind of Black Metal.
---- 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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Definitely one of my favorite album ever. I did enjoy Ylem's killer opening riiff and then World Keels Over but,as some people said, Osiris was probably the masterpiece of the album. Anyway the whole album was really interesting since most of tunes are quite different from each others. Liked it more and more with every listening. ^^
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This is very rapidly becoming my favourite release so far this year. "Osiris" becomes better every time I listen to it.
---- You can't fight evil with a macaroni duck!
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This album is really good! I quite liked stab wounds but this is on a whole new level!
---- When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
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Posts: 64329 Written by Merchant of Doom on 03.10.2010 at 12:01 whitch album?
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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Posts: 21306 Written by Bad English on 03.10.2019 at 15:24 You're asking a guy 9 years later for clarification about which album he was discussing on an album review thread??
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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Posts: 64329 Written by Troy Killjoy on 03.10.2019 at 17:26 I did not checked dade :p
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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