The Return to Darkness

Although the merits of globalization could be discussed and argued to death, one certainly positive thing it has brought is a wave of new metal from parts of the world that have not witnessed it before. India has been one of the biggest up-and-comers for heavy metal, with a youthful generation yearning to adopt some of the Western traditions into their own and find their own way. One of the better known Indian metal acts is Demonic Resurrection, a band who has largely introduced me to what the Indian metal scene is all about. 'The Return To Darkness' is the third album by these guys, although it is the first one with a truly professional sound. Demonic Resurrection indicates to me that this young scene still has some growing to do, but there is no doubt that it will spawn some of the greatest metal in coming years.

This particular band is best described as playing extreme metal. That is, I am hearing influences pulled in from both death metal, and symphonic black metal. Demonic Resurrection has already had a couple of albums with which to consolidate a certain sound of theirs, and while 'The Return To Darkness' is an album not all too different from its Western counterparts, the evident influences come together to make a pretty convincing blend. I am hearing Dimmu Borgir, Morbid Angel, Opeth, and even Trivium coming together into Demonic Resurrection's sound, and as one, it sounds quite impressive. The technically slick riffs here are backed by strong drums, and songwriting that manages to nicely balance melody with heaviness. Melody is something that Demonic Resurrection does very well, more specifically the way the band incorporates it into their music. The riffs here are sometimes quite aggressive, but towards the 'chorus' segments of the songwriting, the guitars gear their aim towards creating memorable musical lines.

There are even clean vocals here, and this is arguably where their Indian heritage shines through most. Demonic Resurrection are a very Western-styled extreme metal band, generally skirting away from the sort of traditional influences that other non-West bands like Orphaned Land are defined by. The growls on this album sound more or less like they could have been plucked from the United States or anywhere, but the clean vocals show a fairly noticeable Indian accent coming through Demonstealer's voice, in what sounds like an auto-tune, no less. If I had heard the clean vocal segments of Demonic Resurrection's music described this way, I would not have been too excited, but these moments in the music do work from the keen sense of melody. After the barrage of heavy riffs and growls that come through as well, it is a nice refreshing change to hear parts of the songwriting that focus on something other than extremity.

The melodic switches are a very strong element of the music, although Demonic Resurrection still sounds like they need a little more variety in the music. The album is over an hour long, and while Demonic Resurrection play their music and style very well, the fairly static melodic death metal sound doesn't justify the length. I had the feeling that the album should end, well before it actually did, and it does take away from the overall impact to hear an album play on fifteen minutes longer than it should have. The production is quite polished, although a little dry for my tastes, but it shows a definite improvement over what Demonic Resurrection has done in the past. Really, I have found myself excited to hear a band coming from such a different part of the world, and I get the sense that Demonic Resurrection is only a vanguard for a wave of Indian metal to come in the near future. The cultural differences aside, 'The Return To Darkness' is a very good piece of extreme metal, heritage regardless, although it does not quite branch out past its influences.

I hate to use a cliché, but some folks need to realize fecal matter wearing a coat of wealth is still fecal matter. Sure, let's add a skin of gold to it, maybe some diamonds, and Frank Sinatra’s autograph, why not? This high-caliber hunk of crap, however, is still a hunk of crap, get the picture? Well, the Indian Demonic Resurrection attracted hordes of metal fans after they appeared in some documentary I have no interest in watching, and the unrelenting wave of fanboyism has lifted the band to places beyond their homeland. While I'm all for folks bolstering obscure groups, the hype around "The Return to Darkness" is ridiculous and unjustified. Nothing but shiny dung falls from the bowels of Demonic Resurrection, still smelly and ridden with disease despite its pretty appearance.

So what's supposed to be the work of a world-shattering band is actually sixty minutes of awful melodic death/black metal clustered in terrible keyboards and some rhythm sections that have a power metal tint. Calling it a Dimmu Borgir accolade wouldn't be a far cry because it (a) sounds like Dimmu Borgir and (b) is practically a tribute album, with all the poor riffing and redundancy of a group trying to be their main influence. You get your tasteless death metal riffs, tremolo picking droops, indiscriminate rhythms, elevator keys, guttural growls...you know, the works, if the works sucked, that is. Demonic Resurrection sets the bar to a new low with clean vocals which are so clearly auto-tuned the record might as well been produced by Ke$ha. They should change their name to Demonic Re$urrection and just get it done with.

Amazingly, Demonic Resurrection is often considered to have progressive tendencies. Is that a joke? There's nothing remotely progressive about "The Return to Darkness." Cheap keyboards layered over generic Dimmu Borgir-ish litter? Nah, not really. Guitar parts that mirror power metal in the vein of Dragonforce? Sorry, thanks for playing. Multiple vocal styles? Cyinc called, they want their innovation back. Seriously though, this sucks. It takes very little to nab an idea here, an idea there, and then paste the parts together sloppily and call it revolutionary. Not to mention it carries on for over an hour of the same waste shoved down a different pipe. Overall, I have nothing but terrible adjectives to throw at this obsolete garbage.

These dudes couldn't write a decent song if internet porn depended on it. Hell, same goes for producing anything memorable. "The Return to Darkness" goes nowhere after bouncing around for way too long with Demonic Resurrection's overblown, pretentious showboating, and I'm left wondering why. Why in the world is this considered so wonderful? I think I've had my fill of this crap after an hour of the generic riffs, monotone growls, auto-tuned singing, pompous anthems, Fisher Price keyboards, and bland melodic death/black metal which controls the album and brings nothing enjoyable or fresh to the table. My advice: don’t get suckered into the vacuum of groundless excitement wallowing in Demonic Resurrection. "The Return to Darkness" is a big joke, and not one I'm willing to hear again.

This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com

Demonic Resurrection is the best-known metal band out of India, having been featured on the documentary Global Metal. Since I didn't have any tacks pushed into my metal map in India, I decided to pick up their third full-length, The Return to Darkness.

They play a highly accessible style of melodic death metal, and chances are it's really nothing you haven't heard before. They pepper this with a strong power metal flavor, especially in the guitar solos, a thick layer of synths, and some progressive tendencies on the two longer tracks. Vocalist Demonstealer is the star of this show, being a very capable death growler (similar to Nergal's style), as well as having a strained rasp and radio-friendly clean vocals. The latter are sometimes distorted in that Cynic computer-like way. The guitars, bass, and drums are all standard issue melo-death; they don't really warrant a lengthy explanation. The keyboards are kind of a mixed bag. Sometimes, they remain unobtrusive, adding welcome drama and atmosphere. But other times they don't keep keyboardist Mephisto on a tight enough leash, and he gets ridiculously distracting (see "The Warriors Return").

The songs are also a mixed bag. I feel like I've heard basically every song on this album a few times before, performed better or worse by a number of other bands. A handful of these offerings are strong enough to be memorable, like "Where Dreams and Darkness Unite" or "Bound by Blood, Fire and Stone". But others, like "The Unrelenting Surge of Vengeance", are unrelentingly boring. The problem seems to be that they're afraid to break the rules, and when they do manage to step outside the box, like the death ballad (that's what I'm calling it) "A Tragedy Befallen", it doesn't work. And the longest track on the album ("Lord of Pestilence") is disjointed and awful.

The Verdict: Demonic Resurrection seem like they simply have no songwriting instincts. When they paint by numbers, they do an admirable job, but when they try to do something different they screw it up. It's not bad, and not good. But it is highly accessible, so if you don't like it, give it away to your friend who's just "kind of" into metal. You know, the one who likes metal because it's cool, but most of it scares him. He'll think it's pretty "hardcore".

originally written for http://fullmetalattorney.blogspot.com/

A Demonic Hoax; A Review of “Return to Darkness”


Album : The Return To Darkness
Origin : Mumbai, India
Release : 2010
Genre : Progressive Death/Black Metal
Label : Candlelight Records


To begin with a review for an album from a band all musically inclined people have expected nothing from and have been left with no broken hearts, for they got what they wanted, a demonically packaged, exclusively autographed copy of musical nothing, man I must have a lot of time on my hands. Quite the contrary, I don’t. And so, I take my entertainment seriously.

While most tracks are longish, given the average six minute play time, one could imagine them a lot shorter after the repetitive, regurgitated riff raff of riffs have been taken off, but then the album would lose all pretense to “kvlt” aesthetic paradigms of lengthy song structures. Clean vocals are a brilliant touch in many a metal band’s distorted riff salads, not this one. The vocals alternate between an amatory transvestite’s recitals of pop melodies and throaty, demonically processed growls. The synthesizer driven juvenilia is reminiscent of local Ganeshoutsav pandal “casio” players, while guitar driven songs generally tide over this favorite faux pas of the 80’s rock scene with competent riffage the same can hardly be said about the songs here. Mostly chromatic chugging and blasé power chord mongering make it a poor contender for the long time death metal listener’s short attention span which may be appealed to by a refined sensibility, originality of composition and technical proficiency in guitar playing which is largely absent. The only redeeming grace being some of the short bursts of relief brought about by inspired playing from Daniel (lead guitarist), the sad part is, those moments are few and far between. Occasionally, one must let even him return to his favorite blues box banalities which all, period, all guitarists have been partial to ever since the dawn of guitar playing. That is forgivable, granted that good solos stem primarily from good musical contexts, and here there aren't any. He’s done what could be done but given the production’s predictable thrust he had to return to darkness.

The production value is great, if not excellent. Many in the Indian metal fraternity have reckoned with the musical genius (?) of Demonic Resurrection, I would agree if I hadn’t learnt long ago, when I was 10, that *argumentum ad populum is a logical fallacy.

Giving the album a fair trial, I will begin with a tolerable song “A tragedy Befallen”. The leading motif is a great hook, not when abused relentlessly by surging vengeance against good taste like it is here. The throaty vocals and sibilant whispering are reasons enough to lose all patience, but on listening further and finding an imbecilic bridge that features some banal key changes which are actually building up into a generic break down with the same banal key changes one is at his wits end. The solo is a saver on this one though; Daniel manages to extricate the tune from a demonic abyss of unoriginality with a well crafted flurry of notes in ethereal prosody. The keyboard could have had a solo too, but hooks are all they seem to be going for while counting on a sweep sequence on the guitar to sweep the listener of his feet before settling on an age old minor arpeggiated acoustic outro, very original (?).

“The Unrelenting Surge of Vengeance!!!!”, I hear a groupie heckling. Ok, for some perspective a visit to the youtube video may be enlightening, not to hear the monstrosity parading as music and watch that bad joke of a video but to read sane people have a say. For the lazy and blind adherents of “kvlt metchul culture”, I take the liberty and honor to produce some heartfelt reactions to the song, Song (?).


Comments found on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1gjrpMF5ak&NR=1

The Unrelenting Surge Of Vengeance is what I call my morning constitutional.
phstelevision 2 weeks ago


Pack of curry shit stains. ( The racist undercurrent is not shared by the author of the review)
rutager4152 2 weeks ago


THIS IS NOT PROGRESSIVE BLACKEN DEATH!!!! This is Dimmu Borgir all over again. please get your genre correct. its Symphonic black metal
kalmah6666 3 weeks ago

And someone told me there is a “The Unrelenting Surge Of Vengeance” cover contest going on. And the author, who is what one may call a competent guitarist, along with a lot of sensible, educated and able musicians said “Shove it!” and that was that. Was the cover contest some kind of practical joke? Judging by the entries they received, one guesses not. Many a musician has laughed at the prospect of covering a song which has squat challenging parts; others have been mollycoddled with unrelenting praise for listening to and covering a truly forgettable song. Congratulations guys, you are all rockstars. All said and done, the video on mute is the best stand up comic act I’ve ever seen. To say it ala Daniel Rego: EPIC WIN.

“Omega, I” revels in the all too familiar tasteless riff repetition salad, courtesy the other wise delectable cook Demon Stealer. Never mind that he couldn’t steal a better moniker for himself from the infinite nomenclatural conventions made possible by human (and not in the least demonic) literary annals. No solo to save this one and it’s so low down the aesthetic ladder’s ardurous rungs that it shan’t agree with any. The symphonic outro is symply phoney symphonic metal emulation; I extend my sympathy towards sympathizers and apathy towards the proliferators of such dastardly ditties. There’s a video DEMONstration of this song by the lead guitarist. Really, you must think us inept little bitches who can’t find their asshole in the dark, while foraging for it with both hands if you think we couldn’t figure that out by ourselves. That we wouldn’t bother to cover it given the low appeal of the tacky and long song is another matter.

“Bound by Blood, Fire and Stone” makes me want the gallop riff mongering and highly original (?) Demon Stealer to be bound to a heavy stone and thrown into the sea. Third degree burns and death by stoning would come a close second for the disservice this song does to musical sensibilities. Yes, we understand your drummer can play some fast grooves on a gallop riff and throw in some blast beats on a chug heavy riff, get over it, all good death metal drummers can that and much more. What’s with the inane pedal tone second guitar back up, on this song on others? Don’t harp on it, many bands have done it before to better, much better results. Vocals sound like they’re coming out of a defunct vacuum cleaner. And, making new riffs for different sections maybe more hard work than a demonically overrated band which gets away recycling the generic, synth-laden riffs would want to put in.

“The Final Stand” starts out promisingly with a rare and seemingly thought out synt- intro and a pummeling drum line but is quick to disappoint with the heady whine-growl of the seemingly asthmatic Demon Stealer disfiguring an overly saccharine addled guitar riff, the repetitious agony of which again relentlessly surges toward the nauseating. The half time bridge around 3.30mins of the song, with the bad pop vocals and selfsame into motif being milked, with squealing joy and pinch harmonics leads into a disappointing lead guitar wank in the diatonic realms. If one believed melodrama finds no place in metal music, listen to this song. Clean vocals help; when the sung by good singers. Go get one, now!!!

“The Lord of Pestilence” while I would generally not listen to some song with such an original name, once in a while popular opinion makers drag me by the heels to the last pile of puke everyone’s been getting a lick off. I won’t make claims attenuating the band’s expertise in sounding like Metallica, (before they became a forgettable band), they’ve done a good job at that, sans the Texan drawl and panache of course. The song seems aimed at the plebian metal heads, who form a large section of Demonic Resurrection’s fan base. Drum lines here are decent (read: good, like a zillion other metal band’s) and help the guitar not seem to be sucking seven cocks simultaneously. The change in keyboard tone at 3.35 is a solitary and necessary respite from the general repertoire of a Downs syndrome affected keyboardist’s tonal monomania. He needs to be gifted a tone bank or some such thing, really. The solo here is better than some other pentatonic exercises that all guitarists are nostalgic about when they evolve. The key section at 8.00 minutes is rendered irrelevant and excessive when followed by a guitar which menaces more successfully with the same melody. It’s an eerie motif again made impotent through overuse, sometime repetition takes emphasis away you know. The end section is interesting, so let’s end it here and not talk about that silly drum pounding that emerges when you thought the song was through and goes on for another four long, repetitious, torturous, demonically damned minutes.

“Where Dreams and Day Unite” blasts its way into a blasé path often trodden by the average metal band; a rudimentary melody lane with break downs and the whole caboodle of synthetic sounding vocals and plastic keyboard tones. The major scale riff at 2.39 minutes raises hopes with an energetic structure, building into a boyzonesque vocal line to curb any enthusiasm one may have developed by its deceptive and short-lived allure and finally lapses into torturous repetition. The end section is fairly decent, partly because with it the author can sleep with a clean conscience not bothering to bother listening to the rest of the assured humdrum on the album to save it from his rightful critical disapproval.

The album is strictly “allright” and no more. If there is appreciation pouring in from abroad one is tempted to believe it’s a manifestation of the white man’s burden, or that the most metal enthusiasts have tin ears in general. This album is a Demonic Hoax; don’t fall for the slick packaging and greasy burgers being thrown in free with this Demonic turd sandwich. Keep it metal \m/

While many people praise early Dimmu Borgir and talk about Stormblåst as it was the template for symphonic black metal, I have to say that I don’t consider Dimmu Borgir to be a great band at all. Although the melodies brought by the guitars are often good, the musicians fall short in terms of songwriting and ultimately fail to surround the listener with the atmosphere they are obviously going for. It is true that they showed some potential in Enthroning Darkness Triumphant, but they never really turned that potential into actual music and since Dimmu Borgir and the mainstream now love each other that reality is unlikely to change.

For me, creative and inspiring albums like this one should be the actual template for symphonic black metal. Unlike Enthroning Darkness Triumphant, The Return to Darkness does not bring you the feeling of underused musicianship, and that is because the band clearly used the skills and the experience that they had in order to create a masterpiece. The band balances orchestra elements, synthesizers and lead guitars in a way that makes everything sound either majestic or extremely wicked, and instead of sticking to what the genre had to offer until the release of this album the band included death metal elements, clean vocals and lots of variation. The resulting amalgam could be actually terrible, but with an impressive display of technique and songwriting competence, this band recorded one of the best albums that I have ever heard.

First of all, the fact that these musicians managed to come up with an introduction that is majestic, menacing and undeniably epic at the same time is great by itself, and the fact that it doesn’t feel unnecessary to the rest of the album strengthens not only the structure of the recording but also the sensation that you are putting your trust on very competent people. “Between Infinity and Oblivion” (AKA introduction to the impending doom) sets an atmosphere that never actually wears off, although the band lets the listener catch his breath several times during the sixty-four minutes immersion. The epic feeling is always there and even if every track has at least some hints of black metal insanity the band manages to insert laid-back clean vocals and symphonic sequences that make you feel victorious for some reason (being “The Warriors Return” the track in which those sequences are most prominent).

The band as a whole does not seem to coexist well with boundaries, but the vocalist probably doesn’t even know what “boundaries” stands for. Deep, guttural death metal vocals are often replaced quickly by mallcore-influenced clean vocals (which surprisingly works out perfectly), and although symphonic black metal is obviously the style that the band was going for, death growls are much more abundant than black metal snarls. The riffing is also influenced by several styles, and even if the death metal influence is the most noticeable one, the band’s guitars approach thrash and doom skillfully.

One thing is true, though: the drums often sound artificial, partially because of a production that sounds excessively polished (even in symphonic metal standards). Regardless of that, the drummer is top-notch, never failing to deliver creative breakdowns (one every minute or so) and brutal rhythms (when needed). Blast-beats are certainly there, but they are rare when compared to the almost omnipresent double bass, and most of the times when the keyboardist is doing his job they simply do not appear. The synthesizers, by the way, are the focus of the recording from beginning to end, and the keyboardist always seems to have some new melodies to offer. His work is sometimes calm and sometimes incredibly tense, but it is always majestically executed.

It would be unfair to say that this album has highlights. While the listener tends to rate some songs above the others, I have to say that this full-length’s quality is uniformly kickass – it is just the songs themselves that are very different from each other. I do have my personal favorites, tough: “A Tragedy Befallen”, with its godlike melody that is brought to us by the lead guitars and the vocals at the same time, “The Warrior’s Return”, with its varied structure and “The Unrelenting Surge of Vengeance” which is introduced by a kickass riff that employs a ¾ time signature stand as my personal favorites.

This almost flawless masterpiece not only approaches many genres simultaneously but also pushes the band’s talents to the limit. This recording is a must-have for every symphonic black metal fan, and anyone that is at least a little into extreme metal will enjoy this.

"The Return To Darkness" is Demonic Resurrection's third full-length and their first on Candlelight Records.This band is one of the first extreme metal bands from India. The band has once played symphonic metal but is now playing progressive black/death metal with symphonic touches. Let's take a look at it, since I believe that this is a very professional release.

The first thing you'll notice here is that the production is quite clean.The vocals, really came to my liking, especially the deep grunts that sound like what brutal death metal vocalists do. Besides, those grunts are a staple in every song in the album, though there are also rasping and singing in the album. The music could be described as "brutally majestic", due to the smooth keyboard symphonies blending with the very brutal riffs. If you're looking for solos here, you'll find some solos on some songs, all of which are quite magnificent to hear. Last but not the least, the drumming. It is, of course, also brutal, but only when the guitars are playing brutal riffs.

One thing I really liked about this album is that it's really hard to pick your favorite songs here.Each and every song here is worth listening till the last second (for short, the album has no filler at all). The first excellent song at the album is "The Warriors Return", which starts with a keyboard symphony but later became an amalgam of brutality later on. "A Tragedy Befallen" starts up with a technical riff, which has the symphonic parts mixing with the song's overall brutality. "Bound by Blood, Fire and Stone" truly is one of the most brutal songs in the album. With a thrash-influenced intro, death metal riffs throughout, and the death grunts all over the song simply made the song very metal. "The Final Stand", though not as brutal as the other songs, has a nice symphonic touch to it, with melodic solos included. Lastly, "Omega, I" is the perfect way to finish the album, being mid-tempo and having a perfect mix of symphony and brutality (yet again). Although the song slows down halfway through, it's all done in an excellent manner.

Oh what could I say? This is simply an excellent piece of artwork. No fillers, elements of extreme metal here and there, all with symphonic touches. Though this album is really recommended for all extreme metal fans, I would also to recommend this to non-extreme metal fans, as long as they are, well, metal fans.

Originally made for http://mystifymyserie.blogspot.com

India’s Demonic Resurrection is back with its third full-length titled The Return to Darkness. I was not familiar with the band before this release, so I familiarized myself with the band’s sound. While too many bands claim symphonic black metal these days, Demonic Resurrection is a cut above the norm.

I was impressed with the band’s 2005 release A Darkness Descends and found myself enthralled by the sound they create. The disc is a healthy mixing of pounding blackish metal that has moments of incredible, seemingly effortless alterations throughout the tracks that are pregnant with both substance and charisma. I was very impressed to hear the intelligence with which this band creates its musical mindscapes. As is probably well-known, I’m not a fan of keyboards in metal music unless it’s pertinent to the overall sound of the band, not just that release or one or two songs. In the track “The Warriors Return” the keys can symbolize a majestic ride a la Gladiator or the upcoming Robin Hood if you are so inclined to visualize; this music can create some of the best visuals I’ve heard in some time.

Standouts on this are the entire CD, hands down. Still, for me the tracks “The Warriors Return” and “Omega, I” seem to cast this looming atmosphere over the room when I listen to them. This same ambiance lends itself to the entire production, creating one of the most visually-encompassing musical efforts I’ve ever heard out of a metal band. While some bands create an atmosphere of evil and darkness a la Vinterland or Emperor, Demonic Resurrection achieves a similar feel, but with the unusual shifts and changes more suited for Dream Theater or Neil Merryweather; the categorization of such brilliant music can’t be wiped down with mere comparisons. The Return to Darkness stands alone, as well it should. “Bound by Blood, Fire and Stone” is one of the most amazing metal tunes I’ve ever heard, without question and in all truthfulness! I sincerely mean it when I say you absolutely need to hear this recording.

To say I’m impressed with this band is an understatement. It never ceases to amaze me just how long I’ve been into metal and how much there is yet to discover. As a fan of four decades already, the scene was considerably smaller than it is today, but the word-of-mouth factor is still in play today. While my friends consider me a walking encyclopedia, I’m thankful that new bands pop up every day to challenge me and add to my arsenal of knowledge and favorites. When they’re amazingly brilliant, as Demonic Resurrection is, it’s all the better. The Return to Darkness is an album that could quite possibly become an instant classic for its genre given the right promotion and word-of-mouth.

Please, hear me on this one and find this CD - it’s a lesson in metal in which we all can use a refresher course from time to time. Consider it a cerebral tune-up if you will, but find The Return to Darkness yesterday.

(Originally written for http://www.metalpsalter.com)

The year is 2010. Mankind is under threat. A dark power that reared its head in the scorching summer of 2005 AD is now preparing for its final attack on the world. Only the chosen warrior can save mankind.

Who is this chosen warrior? Well, that is not important. What is important is that 2010 AD is definitely the year that Demonic Resurrection, one of India's longest-lasting and most indefatigable metal bands conquers the world. 4 years after they released their 2nd full-length album 'A Darkness Descends', comes the 3rd part of the Darkness trilogy, 'The Return to Darkness' (the 2nd was their EP 'Beyond the Darkness'). Released (as usual) by vocalist/guitarist Sahil Makhija's own Demonstealer Records, this album has 'breakthrough' permanently tattoed all over it.

The band has gone through an art makeover courtesy of Polish designer/animator Machael 'Xaay' Loranc (of Nile, Behemoth, Necrophagist and Vader fame) who has delivered a very European look for the band's new logo. The front cover art is a craftily designed fisheye of a cityscape under siege from a group of very skeletal yet plasmic entities released by a celestial vortex. The CD itself was released as a box set containing a well-designed t-shirt, a pair of guitar plectra (one of which I've already lost), a sticker and a band poster; the last 3 items being snugly packaged within a solid cardboard 'jewel case'. The band has gone through a few lineup changes as well with new drummer Virendra Kaith and a solid lead guitarist in the form of Daniel Rego as the latest acquisitions.

The biggest difference though, is the sound of the band's music itself. The album opens with the a digitized, muffled wail loop that is soon joined by a violin chorus à la keyboard player Mephisto, who then proceeds to add a percussive bass beat. This now full-blown orchestral crescendo is called 'Between Infinity and Oblivion'. A truly epic herald of more musical greatness. The next track now cracks open- 'Where Dream and Darkness Unite'. The band's wondrous ESP strings and Mapex drum kit literally blast into a tune that reminds one of Dimmu Borgir's 'Blessings Upon the Throne of Tyranny', except the presence of orchestral keys and very well-polished death growl strike a different epic nerve in the listener's body.

This album, like this song, is a highlight of the evolution that the band has gone through musically. In essence, nothing has changed in terms of how they define their music; a mix of black, death and power metal. But while previous releases saw a more-or-less disjointed exhibition of the 3 genres, this album sees the band dissecting each genre and bringing out exactly what they do to the brain of the listener. And it doesn't stop there. They combine the mood of one genre with the exterior playing style of another. This has resulted in the band taking an overall symphonic path which only seems natural as symphonies cater to both the dark and light side of human emotion.

The whole album is a highly dynamic one. There are a lot more changes in time signature, beat patterns, vocal style and the intent behind the emotion ins a song section. Unlike on its predecessor, the band has not really aimed solely at creating an extreme sound. In fact, the great thing about this album for me is how emotionally driven it is. The dynamic nature of it has been achieved solely due to to this very fact. This has led to a lot of innovation in the sound of the band. 'A Tragedy Befallen' has a very power metal sound throughout, even though its brought out through harsh vocals for the most part. In fact, some sections seem to strike the same emotional chord as later Kamelot albums. 'Bound by Blood,Fire and Stone' sees a brilliantly executed section where a blast beat battery fuses eclectically with a digitized whisper which in turn is synchronized with a crafty channel interpolation of a series of triple-picked duets on the strings. To top it all is a beat-synchronized ambient flourish from the keys.

Every great album has a landmark track. Without a doubt its 'Lord of Pestilence' on this one. The intro is a look back at one of their signature tracks of yesteryears 'Frozen Portrait'. It features a similar flanger-drenched clean guitar intro expect this one is not just a happy tune. It goes on for about 3 minutes of an emotional roller coaster ride before blasting into a blast beat driven section. The rest of the 8 and a half minutes of this track makes the listener feel like he is sitting through a sci-fi fantasy movie. There is conflict, there is resolution, there are twists and there are emotional beats.

The album ends with 'Omega,I', a perfect closing tune for a brilliant epic. The continuity throughout the album is quite fulfilling. So is its overall duration. Every song seems related to every other both on a musical and lyrical scale (of which the latter I find secondary compared to the former in importance). Despite the huge length of most of the songs, there is never a dull moment in the album. In fact, if any of the songs were shorter I believe it would have been a cause for concern. The musicians have all grown to huge levels on this album and the new inclusions should not go away to soon, especially drummer Virendra Kaith.

And so, the Darkness trilogy comes to an end. The warrior has emerged victorious over the dark power. But the real world metal scene will now witness an inevitable rise of a new power: prepare your legions for India's own Demonic Resurrection.