XIV Dark Centuries - Gizit Dar Faida - review
XIV Dark Centuries - Gizit Dar Faida - review
Tracklist
01. Westwärts02. Zeit Der Rache
03. Schlachtgesang
04. Donars Söhne
05. Hinauf Zum Gold'nen Tor
06. Eichenhain
07. Brennen Soll Das Alte Leiden
08. Eine Wanderung
09. Runenraunen - Eine Wanderung II
10. Surtur Erwacht
11. Ausklang
A review by
KwonVerge October 01, 2011
XIV Dark Centuries, after five years of silence, pass through the schism of time once again. This time their battering ram comes under the crest of Gizit Dar Faida. More conscious of their actions they manage to present their most complete work to date in terms of atmosphere. The guitar riffing marches onwards and the rhythm section follows cantering. And guess what: you have to adore the guitar melodies that fill the soundscape with lyrical eloquence, either as leads or solos. Their slight echoing edge at times evokes a divine sense, something that paces really well with the many sing-along chanting passages that escalate the heroic vibe and enrich it. Needless to say, the boiling grunting battle-cries make the ambiance more intense and lend more strength to the core of the compositions. The keyboards are not that much this time, but whenever they make their appearance they hold a rewarding and uplifting ecstatic aura.
Something that you may notice is that the album is harmonically scattered into equal pieces. "Westwärts", which works as an intro, acquaints the listener to the elder's tunes. Then, you fall upon a bastion of four compositions willing to thrill you with their war-provoking spirit and lyricism until you stumble upon the beautiful acoustic interlude "Eichenhain". The album keeps up with four more songs that, despite the fact that they keep the dynamism of the first half, tend to embed more melody and atmospheric brushstrokes. "Ausklang" closes the curtain and leads the cycle to completion as the outro of this tale. XIV Dark Centuries appear more balanced than ever before in a solid effort that won't disappoint their hordes. Melodic yet powerful, atmospheric but without exaggerating, their latest effort is here to open once again the gates to an older domain.
Forged in fire and steel, but also nostalgic, Gizit Dar Faida strikes in military formation. This is Thuringian Metal in its most anthemic form which storms from the glorious ancestral past to inflict its heathen aesthetic on the present.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 9 |
Comments
Comments:
6
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Posts: 1752  |
Posts: 1752
Nice review, as always. It's great to see such passion for music and for words. I completly forgot about this band. I'll be sure to stay on the lookout for their newest. Sounds really promessing.
---- You cannot sedate all the things you hate - MM The Observer is the source of reality - Bloom God damn it!! What did Diddy didn't do? - Satan
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 Posts: 5068 |
Posts: 5068 Written by Edmund Fogg on 01.10.2011 at 15:01 Thanks a lot for the kind words mate!  I kind of had forgotten about them myself; and suddenly appeared a new album! Hope you enjoy it when it comes out 
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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 Posts: 6941 |
Posts: 6941
So, so, so, so deliriously excited for this album Your review just made the wait that much harder  But at least I know it'll be worth it in the end. Glad to hear it's, "more balanced than ever." While this band has always impressed me greatly they had some definite room to grow as well. Sweet!
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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 Posts: 9720 |
Posts: 9720
I've been listening to this a lot in the car recently. And I can only agree with the "storms from the glorious ancestral past to inflict its heathen aesthetic on the present" part: especially "Schlachtgesang" makes me want to get on a chopper with a huge battle-axe in my right hand and decapitate Christian invaders as I go. But as with all their albums I have the feeling that one song towers over all the others. "Schlachtgesang" on this one, "Runibergun" on Skithingi and "Bragarful" on Jul. Only their debut album sounds fairly balanced to me. Which doesn't mean that the other albums aren't awesome (the rating for this one is about right IMO), but I'd wish they'd release an album again which I want to listen to from start to finish instead of waiting for (or even skipping to) one particular track.
---- All life begins with Nu and ends with Nu... This is the truth! This is my belief! ...At least for now. - The Mystery of Life, Vol. 841 Ch. 26
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| Posts: 6941 |
Posts: 6941
My copy arrived today and I'm listening right now. You are so right: very anthemic and full of military marches. It not necessarily full of "fast" songs but is energizing nonetheless.
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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