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Galadriel > World Under World > Reviews
Galadriel - World Under World

Now, it's no more Galadriel! - 39%

Sean16, November 17th, 2007

Somewhere in 2003, Galadriel underwent a major overthrow with the departure of three emblematic members, namely drummer Victor Gieci, female vocalist Sona Kosakova, as well as her brother and keyboardist “JSK”. One year later what remained of the Slovakian band – meaning more or less bassist/vocalist/mastermind Dodo Datel, as Galadriel’s successive guitarists have never lasted very long – released what is easily the worst album of its ten-years long history. Did all the old members depart seeing how crappy the next album would be? Or did they departed first, leaving poor Dodo so alone and desperate that he first hit his head three or four times against a brick wall, then take massive amounts of drugs as well as a trip to Gothenburg? What could plainly explain the overall state of mind of the album we’re talking about, indeed.

It isn’t really the fact “Galadriel” is no longer playing doom metal. Previous album From Ashes and Dust had already taken some distance from the band’s doom roots, leaning more towards gothic/dark metal with an occasional slice of doom only. But World under World not only has nothing to do with doom metal, but it has also little to do with gothic metal, and sometimes little to do with metal as a whole – in other words, in has little to nothing to do with Galadriel. So everyone has understood by now, it’s Dodo Datel’s solo album – fine. Couldn’t this work as a dishonest excuse for this jam of gothic, industrial, Gothenburg, techno (!) and even modern thrash? Of course no, for this simple reason alone: it’s been released under the name Galadriel.

If something links these questionable ten tracks, it would be the constant use of electronic/industrial synths behind each of them. But the worst of all aren’t only those ugly, out-of-place, annoying as fuck synths themselves, but the fact they often work as the only common point between the songs. I once enjoyed Galadriel as an unpredictable band, but too much is too much. The first five songs (minus the instrumental...) feature for instance a mysterious female vocalist who on the second half of the album will equally mysteriously disappear. Several songs oscillates between melodeath/Gothenburg and thrash, while Insanity and Suffering suddenly degenerates into a Cradle of Filth rip-off at 2:43 exactly. Standard and sub-standard dark metal walks hand in hand with techno and the closing track even marks a semblance of step back to doom metal.

Also, what happened to the musicians? Even if those are now little more than guest artists, a minimal quality standard could legitimately be expected from the name Galadriel, but it seems Datel for once hasn’t even cared for it – as he hasn’t cared for anything else. Not only the drums are outrageously triggered, obviously to better fit the whole goth/indus/Gothenburg dung the whole work is plunged into, but the drummer is just pathetic in himself, and the occasional brain-dead blastbeats (blastbeats in Galadriel!) aren’t changing anything, only succeeding in making him sound even more retarded. The keyboardist isn’t showing anything positive of course, let alone most keyboards are most certainly programmed. Ironically the guitarists, who hadn’t really been the band’s linchpin so far, here sound surprisingly decent, even managing to place a well-crafted solo from times to times. But don’t forget the worst of all – Dodo Datel himself! His abilities as a bassist are beyond question because as on every Galadriel album the bass can hardly be heard, but what the fuck did happen to his voice? Where are the low, raucous growls perfectly fitting with his eternal caveman look, gone? From the beginning to the end he seems to make a pathetic attempt either at black metal-ish shrieks, or at Anders Friden’s mallcore barks (hard to tell, really), which in either case don’t suit his vocal range a single bit, making the vocals sound atrociously forced and unnatural. Oh, please, Mr Datel, stop it right now; not only you’re damaging our ears but, worse, you’re obviously damaging YOUR VOICE!

Detailing every ineptitude of this album would be of course a complete loss of time, from the nu-metal vibe of I Closed your Book (you know, verses only backed with electronics and triggered-to-death drums, and shouting vocals) to the ignoble techno beat of Sex in the Underworld (don’t laugh at the title and just remember Galadriel previously came out with titles such as Vampirian Love, As your Body Burns or Dark Erotica, all solid songs by the way), so just let’s focus on the best tracks. Indeed, there still are solid numbers here, and no surprise they’re the ones closer to old Galadriel, even if only remotely. The closer The Grave is the Last has already been mentioned, with its slow doom vibe, melancholic violin line (yes, it’s a genuine violin), flute and long spoken parts, and – what a surprise – Datel’s voice again kind of sounding the way it should’ve always sounded. Before, The End of Eternity and Bleeding Heart’s Poetry are two strong dark metal songs which, though showing little resemblance to previous Galadriel works, are still bringing a breeze of fresh air in an otherwise deplorable joke.

Oh, there’s also a short piano instrumental called The Fall. Just in case no one would have noticed the irony.

Highlights: The End of Eternity, Bleeding Heart’s Poetry, The Grave Is the Last