Band:	Darkness Dynamite
Album:	The Astonishing Fury Of Mankind
Style:	Metalcore
Release date:	June 09, 2009
A review by:	itsjoeymoose

01. Supernatural
02. Hell Eve Hate
03. Immersion Inner Nation
04. $15
05. Chasing Inside
06. A Simple Taste Of...
07. Vice!
08. By My Own
09. Dare I Say
10. The Everlasting Grace Of Mind
11. The Astonishing Fury Of Mankind

A French band that's not Gojira has finally found their way into the metal world. Having only released two EPs, Darkness Dynamite's first full-length release under Metal Blade doesn't exactly cover new ground, but does a great job of keeping things interesting and explosively heavy in familiar territory. Forming in early 2007, it hasn't taken long for this 5-piece to get assembled and put the album out for a June release.

The Astonishing Fury Of Mankind owes a hell of a lot to As I Lay Dying and Soilwork, yet there's a certain something in there that keeps the band divided from the endless throng of generic metal core/melodic death bands. Vocalist Junior Rodriguez is most certainly a boon to the band's sound, providing some scintillating growls and some respectable melodic singing.

Creeping into the sound waves are elements of extreme metal legends Strapping Young Lad, which can definitely be heard all throughout 'Fury?', but most prominently on 'Immersion Inner Nation'. The Guns N Roses and Metallica influences the band claims to have are puzzling, as there isn't a single note of those bands in their music. Each to their own though.

Can we do without the bog-standard breakdowns and high-pitched-only-a-dog-could-hear-them guitar squeals? Most definitely. Individual catchy hooks are not this band's strength, but DD does succeed in creating progressive structures and memorable choruses within each song, a la Soilwork. The title track is the best example of this, along with 'Vice!' and 'Dare I Say'. A little too close to As I Lay Dying is '$15', but it's pulled off with enough conviction that the song can hardly be called a copycat. The only aspect which spoils the otherwise solid release, is the inclusion of two acoustic interludes totaling nearly five minutes of wasted CD space.

An excellent debut album from the Frenchies, Darkness Dynamite are definitely on their way to something bigger, but The Astonishing Fury Of Mankind isn't quite there yet. A band that will go from strength to strength, as they've shown a lot of promise. Less pointless interludes and more progressive songs next time please.