Band:	Imperium Dekadenz
Album:	Dämmerung Der Szenarien
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	2007
A review by:	Troy Killjoy

01. Into Breathless Sleep
02. Der Dolch Im Gewande
03. Staub Und Erinnerung
04. Dämmerung Der Szenarien
05. Hordes From The Dark Star
06. Nebelbrandung
07. Harmatia
08. Reich Der Fahlen Seelen
09. The Night Whispers To The Wise
10. Waiting

Dämmerung Der Szenarien is about all you can hope a sophomore album to be -- stronger in every aspect compared to the band's debut -- but its delivery and atmosphere were only glimpses of what was yet to come.

This album marks an interesting change in the band's scope, which would immediately become their signature style. With a clear emphasis on creating a more warm and inviting vibe, distancing themselves from the colder harsh sounds of black metal's origins that were more present on its predecessor, Horaz and Vespasian do a much better job expressing themselves here. The production value isn't the greatest, often times cloaking instruments and accentuating the vocals a little too high in the mix, but the music still holds some weight under the scrutiny of a genre mired in relative simplicity from its beginnings.

While there aren't any apparent standout tracks, save for maybe the album's final proper track, "The Night Whispers To The Wise," there's a consistency this time around that wasn't so obvious on the debut despite a lack of deviation in style. Most songs follow an extremely similar formula, making it difficult to tell them apart, but some tempo changes help things from getting too stale. It's considerably lackluster in the songwriting department with slower pacing being the only real break in the monotony, and it lacks bite, which is possibly the only thing giving the debut something worth listening to. Most of these basic riffs meander and wander off into a sort of nothingness before fading out into the next track, as if written purely for the sake of filling time. But there are some melodies built in so you aren't left nodding along mindlessly.

To their credit, Imperium Dekadenz were clearly showing signs of perfecting their craft here, it just so happens to be evident that there were still plenty of kinks that needed to be ironed out in terms of progressing songs and allowing space for incorporating more demanding ideas -- issues that were masterfully overcome with its successor. This works as a perfect arc album that bridges the more amateurish raw sound of their debut with the enveloping comfort of their future releases, like a stepping stone in their discography. On its own it just simply doesn't command any special notice. It features all the typical Imperium Dekadenz cliches fans have come to expect, with acoustic interludes, clear but raspy black metal shrieks, gentle drumming, and a bittersweet feel courtesy of the contrasting atmosphere and instrumentation.

It's understandable that Dämmerung Der Szenarien doesn't receive much praise even by the band's more avid followers, as it fails in every way to stand up to future material. However, it is a nice trip down memory lane if only to reflect on where the band started showing more confidence in their vision.