Betray My Secrets

Stefan of Darkseed (Germany) apparently got ahold of Reason, the sample-based program used for a lot of electronica, and, well, started to play guitar over his compositions, and came up with something truly unique that ended up as "Betray My Secrets".

I disagree with the previous review. I'm not sure what they were looking for from the disc - apparently they didn't get it. I'm not sure they are very familiar with

OK, there are some filler tracks on the release, but one simply cannot deny "Ever-Expanding Eternity", "Desert Dance", the opener "Shamanic Dream", and one of the best melodic doom songs ever released - ever - "Forgive Them".

"Forgive Them" is a slow somber hyper-layered melodic doom masterpiece. The ethnic samples and harmonies make this a simply incredible track. I think this is what caused me to start Vinculum Terminatii (USA) - my own melodic doom project. It's a very influential track. When I listen, I find myself, wild-eyed, singing "HEY! SON! WHERE ARE YOU GOING! DO NOT WALK SO FAST!!" along with the lyrics - thick accent and all.

If this disc was a single comprised of "Ever-Expanding...", "Desert", "Shamanic", and "Forgive Them", it would absolutely be rated 100. No question. At all. Perfect.

At the time this was released, this was the only "ethnodoom" out there. Very atmospheric tracks, and I feel that this one disc far exceed's Stefan's main band at the time (Darkseed - Germany). I wish this got more exposure, if even just "Forgive Them" or "Shamanic Dream".

There are many "ethnic" and Middle Eastern parts on this disc, but they really don't seem out of place. I find this disc, as a whole, to be a very creative release.

"Desert Dance" is a swirling soundscape that definitely paints pictures. As an instrumental, you can truly hear everything that's going on on these tracks.

Again, I will point out that some songs like "Of Things Not Seen" are simply difficult to listen to. He should have trimmed the fat a bit and left these tracks off, and made it an EP. Oh well. Considering that this came out in 1999, the hindsight is squinting to see.

Stefan has moved onto to SpiRitual (Germany) which is a definite continuance of Betray My Secrets, but more mature. Give this BMS disc and the SpiRitual disc honest listens if you're a melodic doom fan, I don't think you'll be disappointed.