Transylvanian Dreams

A black metal release with six songs in 42 minutes and a stereotype black and white cover. Am I mistaken or do I see a blaze in the Northern sky? No doubt, the early black metal works of Darkthrone have had a deep impact on the scene in general and on these Hungarians in particular. Their compositional approach is painfully close to that of the Norwegian ruffians at the time of publication of "Transilvanian Hunger". The production is reduced to the essentials. It lacks depth while also paying tribute to the aforementioned full-length. As an interim summary, it can be noted that you do not need to read this review any longer if you are exclusively looking for innovative and independent bands. He who is more tolerant might find a new jewel for his collection.

The band pursues a clear line. Merciless, ugly high speed black metal is the only thing that counts. Dreamful melodies, as indicated in the album´s title, do not play a role. And it goes without saying that the same applies to atmospheric keyboard intermezzos, peaceful acoustic guitars and any other kind of superfluous knickknacks. The more or less thin guitars raise an icecold storm in order to destroy as much as they can. Sometimes it seems that the drummer has to struggle seriously to keep up with the unbelievable pace. The lead vocalist screams, nags and roars like there´s no tomorrow. All participants have put their heart and soul into the making of this record.

Now that you know the basic direction of Tymah, we have to take a look at the implementation of their creative ideas. The title track marks the climax. It is a vibrant and energizing track that shows how this kind of metal can work. All sections of the song match together perfectly and the long drawn-out screams of vocalist Dim increase the intensity of this black metal sledgehammer. Crude melodies fight with the devastating high speed drums, but it is impossible to pick a clear winner. Or, in other words, the only winner is the extremely pleased listener, because this song constitutes a prime example for a masterpiece of raw black metal.

Without being bad, the remaining five pieces do not reach the same level as the title track. Single parts know to convince and the Hungarians avoid gross errors. The songs create a big black hole without making any compromise. One can admire this attitude, but one can also argue that their stubbornness prevented a better result, because it is not easy to get access to this black hole. Less Darkthrone and more individuality would have been helpful. But, of course, the here presented full-length was their debut and it is not forbidden to show your roots and your influences at this early stage. Ultimately, this means that "Transylvanian Dreams" is doubtlessly a solid underground album with a clear message. Its lack of originality should not be overestimated.

If you're a fan of old school black metal’s icy chill, typical of early Mayhem and Darkthrone, this is the disc for you.

There are two (pun intended) schools of thought about newer black metal: bands should either stick to the Norwegian necro-slush style of "Deathcrush" and "Transilvanian Hunger", or they should move on. Mayhem moved on and look where it got them. Darkthrone didn't, and ...

Tymah (or Tuman, if 'Tymah' is indeed in Cyrillic script) attempt to capture the old school sound without apology or compromise and they do so brilliantly. The guitars emulate the arctic edge of Darkthrone and the vocals pay homage to the breathless gasp of Mayhem's greatest vocalist, Dead. The drummer is more in the Fenriz rather than the Hellhammer style, with more emphasis on the beat than the embellishment, and propels the music superbly. The wind-tunnel tone of the classic Pytten recording style is retained, with some additional – and welcome – bottom end kick.

By the time the six-track album kicks into the fourth (and title) tune, the band is well and truly in the zone. These Hungarians capture the snowstorm whiteout of the best of the Norwegians and are not afraid to stretch out in the Burzum style to maximize the texture rather than cop out to guitar solos and vocal hooks.

It’s impossible to fault this album, hence the 100 mark. The best of this old-school style takes you to a special, almost meditative zone, and Tymah do it as well as their predecessors. I’ll leave it to the hacks who will inevitably bicker and argue over the old/new and homage/copycat issues. At least a score of 100 will keep the album’s average up high where it belongs.