Sael - The Sixth Extinction review
| Band: | Sael |
| Album: | The Sixth Extinction |
| Style: | Black metal |
| Release date: | April 2010 |
| A review by: | KwonVerge |
01. Being Judas
02. Priest Of Nothingness
03. The Venom
04. Mantra Of The Fourth Age
05. Inner Wrath
06. I Searched For The End Of The Spiral
07. The Sixth Extinction
Sael is a French black metal combo that managed to release during 2010 their debut album, The Sixth Extinction, after an EP and some demos etc. The cover artwork is really beautiful, depicting probably a god of the sea amidst the angry waves, with the first impression being actually very positive.
The Sixth Extinction is nothing new, it contains a formula you've heard before, after all innovative sound in black metal format doesn't happen every day anymore and whenever such matters occur only the inspiration and atmosphere sectors can save the situation. Of course there are some very good songs and/or moments in here, but probably they are not enough to keep the peak at high levels, henceforth the album is slightly above the average black metal releases.
Of course you will enjoy its fierce air, they like it up-tempo and rough with some mid-to-low tempo breaks (as expected, the rhythm section flows in the same vein without losing its course), with the guitars evoking either a menacing or more desolate atmosphere or just straight to your face rawness. After all one of the ambiance arrays in black metal is the guitar sound and here you will find the renowned railway riffing with a sharper edge at times, without forgetting to present some interesting solos or acoustic passages. Some keyboard seeds have been planted along the way, blooming here and there amidst the harvesting guitars, like the awesome passage during the second minute of "Being Judas". The vocal lines are pretty well-expressed, rasping screams and howls tha complete the set.
The overall outcome is definitely well-performed, but it tends to sound a bit monotonous at times, although the slight keyboard passages and some more rhythmic mid-tempo melodic guitars or even acoustic chords lend a helping hand of diversity. Songs like "Being Judas", "Priest Of Nothingness" and "The Venom" will keep your interest at welcome levels so as to keep on listening, whereas "Mantra Of The Fourth Age", "Inner Wrath" and "I Searched For The End Of The Spiral" (post 3:40 is interesting and revives the song) with their rawer, dry sound won't leave the best of impressions, henceforth they might tire. The title track is somewhere inbetween in terms of impression, just like the whole album.
Had it been a 3-4 track EP, The Sixth Extinction would have been a pretty strong and solid release, as for now, it's a bit more than another black metal album, for sure it has things to say, but I'll prefer other albums instead. You still can give them a chance, but the choice is all yours.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 8 |
 | Written on 04.10.2010 by "It is myself I have never met, whose face is pasted on the underside of my mind." |
Comments
Comments: 6
Visited by: 13 users
| Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9155  |
Nice reveiw, btw why is it a six point five? i understand that its only sub-par but your other ratings are all above 7? just wondering.
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068  |
Written by Boxcar Willy on 12.10.2010 at 01:52 Thanks for the positive feedback  The sub-rating thingies give a sense of what's going on concerning musicianship etc as they state, the final rating is the final impression based mainly on the words of the review, that's how i see it. The words are of more important than the rating.
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9155 |
Written by KwonVerge on 12.10.2010 at 01:58 ii use a combination of both... maybe that's why my reviews are so terrible 
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by Boxcar Willy on 12.10.2010 at 02:00 I don't know if your reviews are terrible or not, but they state an opinion, YOUr opinion and that's important
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9155 |
Written by KwonVerge on 12.10.2010 at 02:02 thats a good way to put it. btw my reveiws are terrible just ask Lucas...
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by Boxcar Willy on 12.10.2010 at 02:06 Read the site rules concerning guest reviews and try it once again!
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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