Band:	Suidakra
Album:	Command To Charge
Style:	Melodic death metal, Folk metal
Release date:	April 25, 2005
A review by:	Undercraft

01. Decibel Dance
02. C14 Measured by Infinity
03. Haughs Of Cromdale
04. The Alliance
05. A Runic Rhyme
06. Second Skin
07. Reap The Storm
08. Gathered In Fear
09. Strange Perfection
10. Dead Man's Reel
11. The End Beyond Me

Those who say that Suidakra doesn't have a prolific career don't know what are they saying, let's take a look at the facts: over 10 years of career, 6 albums, over 125 gigs and tours worldwide. The German act is well established among Metalheads as a leading act of Black-Death Metal with some folk influences, well, maybe that's about to change, because "Command To Charge", the bands latest effort, takes the band through a whole new direction..

I can foresee that this album is going to be quite controversial, is a love it or hate it album, hardcore fans of the band might dislike this, since the band uses a lot of Melodeath influences, clean vocals and catchy "commercial" tunes. From the first song "Decibel Dance" you know there's something different in the band, doesn't sound like the band that delivered "Signs For The Fallen", next song "C14_Measured By Infinity" dwells in the same terrain, Melodeath parts countered with clean vocals and softer, catchier parts.

Some old elements are here though, the folk influences are not completely gone, songs like the superb instrumental "Dead Man's Reel" features bagpipes, some harsher songs can be found also, like "Strange Perfection" (great riffs!) and "The Alliance". There's also an acoustic song "Gathered In Fear" which is not bad, but doesn't necessarily fits in the mood in the album.

Suidakra has achieved a modern sound combined with the elements of their musical past. The band is now in a point where they will surely lose many fans, but in reward they will gain even more, because the music they're doing now is more accessible to wider audiences.

The rating is tricky. The 7.5 is my personal rating, if you're a fan of Suidakra but hate Melodeath, for you is 6. If you love Melodeath and never heard Suidakra, then is an 8. If you are the biggest fan of Suidakra and you don't care if they start playing tangos and salsa as long the Suidakra name appears in the Cd, then is a 9. If you're a sworn enemy of clean vocals, then is a 5. If you hate Heavy Metal, then is a... hey! What the fuck are you doing reading this?