Dreams

Let me start off by saying that if you’re looking for a black metal act, you should go somewhere else. Perhaps Amsvartner’s early demos were black, but Dreams is clearly Gothenburg-influenced death metal. Anyone looking for a black metal outfit is going to walk away disappointed. Since Dreams is their first full-length release, it would be better to think of them as Melodic Death/Gothenburg and leave all black references to the notes.

Musically, Dreams could have benefited from little more drums and a little less vocals. Not that the vocals are bad, it’s just that they overpower a couple of tracks, ‘Ada’ and ‘Turn the Light Away’ notably. A death metal vocalist should be treated as another instrumentalist, not so much a frontman. This isn’t Van Halen. All tracks suffer from weak, though competently executed drumming.

Albin Johannson on bass is probably the hook for this band. I have to say, I like some funk in a death metal bass player, and I appreciate the moving bass line on several tracks on Dreams. ‘Medicineman’ and ‘Funkyman’ are average tracks at best, and only because the bass kept me interested. ‘Turn the Light Away’ and the final instrumental track ‘Sleep’ also contain enjoyable bass.

The standout tracks for me are the aforementioned ‘Turn the Light Away’ and ‘Dimensional Portals’. The opening riffs of this one kind of sound like an early Testament track, something off of The New Order. Purposeful, catchy changes keep the tune interesting. I have to wonder though why ‘Sleep’ got tacked on last, or at all. It seems out of place on this album, though it is one of the better tracks.

Overall, I liked this album. I would call it a promising start, and it’s enough to make me want to hear their next full-length release. I intentionally seek out new metal acts that I’ve never heard, for the sole purpose of hearing something new, even though I end up not liking about 70% of what I find. These guys were worth the effort. Fans of Gothenburg should add it to their collection, fans of black metal should steer clear.