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░ ██ ██ Artist: Death Rides a Horse ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Tree of Woe █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2013 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-03-13 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Infern÷ Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Will Death Rides A Horse (DRaH from now on) be the █
█ next big metal music export from Denmark? This █
█ band, formed back in 2008, took their name from a █
█ movie. First I recalled a Hammer Films had a movie █
█ called that, but wrong, it was a western starring █
█ Lee Van Cleef. █
█ This MCD is a reissue of September 2012 3-song █
█ tape release (via Deadbangers). Infern÷ Record's █
█ CD version includes DRaH's previous EP █
█ 'Pantokrator' (2010) as well as an exclusive bonus █
█ track. There's 58+ minutes of music here! It comes █
█ with beautiful stained glass artwork and almost █
█ every song's lyrics printed (they concentrate on █
█ mythologies and literature [H.P. Lovecraft and █
█ J.R.R. Tolkien]) on glossy paper. Looks very █
█ stylish indeed. As does the band's logo which █
█ reminds of, surprise surprise, old movies. █
█ While being named after a western, the moods █
█ presented by the band here are just like from old █
█ horror movies, so Hammer Films was in a way the █
█ right bet from me. First up is the band's newest █
█ material. 'For Those about to Die' starts with █
█ similar vibes to a Runemagick song; ominous and █
█ ghastly, yet attacking. When the song goes on, █
█ there is clear Candlemass style doom tone, as well █
█ as headbangable Grand Magus-ish impression. Good █
█ classic and powerful heavy metal riffing (from █
█ NWOBHM to Accept) is abound. The title track █
█ brings in something new, that deepens the █
█ atmosphere: A calmer part with acoustic guitar █
█ playing. While the songs are rather long, from 6╜ █
█ minutes to almost 11 minutes, the songs aren't █
█ complex, nor consist of that many parts. The █
█ compositions work, and one clear evidence about █
█ this is that, that they do not feel long at all. █
█ How do 11 minutes pass that fast?! The drums do █
█ what's suitable, meaning straight tempos or █
█ war-drum style tom drum utilizing work. The bass █
█ guitar playing is rather colourful, as one would █
█ expect in this kind of metal music. Female vocals █
█ are quite unique and into-the-point. If Doro would █
█ sing Danzig, maybe it would sound a bit like this. █
█ The production is thick and warm, organic. It █
█ could be heavier, though. █
█ 'Beyond the Granite Threshold' starts the █
█ 'Pantokrator' run. It's somewhat faster than 'Tree █
█ of Woe' material, but style-wise it is very █
█ similar. The song last between 5-9 minutes, so the █
█ band do not offer a fast way out. The title track █
█ shows the band's ability to pen atmospheric, █
█ story-telling songs. 'The Eye' presents well █
█ DRaH's sludge influences. I expected a lot from █
█ Scorpions cover 'Fly to the Rainbow', but maybe am █
█ just so used to Therion's take on it, that this █
█ left me a tad cold. The sound on these songs, █
█ minus the cover, is fairly muffled, but heavy. █
█ The exclusive track, 'Dominion of Metal' starts █
█ with riffing, that is way more poodle hair thing █
█ than anything else on this release. Gladly, it █
█ knows how to metal on in a doomy way, too. Anyway, █
█ this one was dedicated to Accept. The song sounds █
█ like it was a demo recording, which it probably █
█ is. █
█ All things considered, this release is a fine way █
█ to put out almost every recording made by DRaH. █
█ Well, I do not know what they still might have █
█ hidden in their vaults, and am missing their █
█ two-song debut demo from 2009. I believe the band █
█ will be noticed widely now, and get some credit █
█ they deserve. Heavy metal and doomy heavy metal █
█ addicts need to get their filthy hands on this █
█ one! Oh, and that Hammer Films flick I was █
█ thinking about was "The Devil Rides out"à █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. For Those About to Die 7:03 ░
░ 2. (A Unified Vision of a Transgalactic 6:23 ░
░ Empire) Open the Gates ░
░ 3. Tree of Woe 10:47 ░
░ 4. Beyond the Granite Threshold 5:12 ░
░ 5. Pantokrator 7:04 ░
░ 6. The Eye 5:58 ░
░ 7. Fly to the Rainbow (Scorpions cover) 9:04 ░
░ 8. Dominion of Metal 6:56 ░
░ 58:27 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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