Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts

Aug 20, 2026

Proclamation - Nether Tombs of Abaddon (2012) Review

The final album by the Spanish war metal horde didn't diverge even to the slightest from delivering exactly what was expected, and exactly at the same manner: bestial chaos in reverb and echo. As daring this style inherently is, Proclamation had decide to fully compromise to its definition parameters with a record that sounded like their previous works, sounded like well-known war metal, focused on efficient simplicity and primitive aggression you already know of. 

It's hard to tell tracks apart, as they all move at the same fast-tempos and feature a thick, noisy production that turns the guitars into a layered sound rather than a more noticeable aspect. The few riffs and solos that one can notice are great, yet the overall frantic attitude of the record is executed well, but repeated to exhaustion not just by Proclamation, but by the whole of this genre. A ten-track runtime feels a bit tedious, it relies too heavily on washed-out reverb and sits well as a product of a stale, yet clear-cut formula. Fans of black / death metal are right to worship this band, especially as one of the voices of its more recent status and rebirth 15 years after the classics of the '90s, but that's about it. Combined with the never-failing, red-and-white blasphemous cover art, the purposeful murk and raw noise in visuals and music, Proclamation made just another standard war metal album, before breaking up a year later. Being active for a decade (2003 to 2013), the band was infamous in the '00s inside that niche's circles, and the record proves why. 

It works like a charm, given that you already are a fan and have the appetite for this specific sound. I wouldn't be able to say which Proclamation album I prefer even if my life depended on it, and despite their shortcomings whenever I listen to them again, I somehow always suggest them around for a listen. A mediocre yet acceptable blast of underground chaos.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 

Mar 27, 2014

Frozen Dawn - Those of the Cursed Light (2014) Review

Album | Those of the Frozen Light
Country | Spain
Genre | Melodic Black Metal
Label | Xtreem Music

Before you start guessing the origins of this band, which seem to be rooted somewhere in the north, Frozen Dawn hail from Spain despite the obvious signs that indicate otherwise. These guys have adapted a couple of characteristics of the genre almost in a lookalike sense and I would dare to say it was just a copycat band, even before listening to the music. Indeed, this album's title reminds of Those of the Unlight, the band's name aches of Immortal and the likes, and the music? About that, too.

With such a polished production, the overall aggressiveness of the record is boosted up a lot, making it somewhat catchy and enjoyable during the first seconds of the first listen. Frozen Dawn display a  regular variety of riffs from the Swedish melodic black metal scene in it's dynamics and vibe. The solos and the guitar lines are more technical than the average, with a steady sound and a well worked cover art, apparently missing nothing as a whole. Those of the Frozen Light misses the "raw" part completely, aiming for a typical The Legion / Dark Fortress record, after poorly replaying the style of such bands.

As much as I enjoy crystal clean sound from time to time, I give a lot of credit to a band's personal advent to it's sound, especially in a constantly growing genre like that. I mean, bands that rip the material of the classic bands off are nice to listen to, but not to critique, and I think Frozen Dawn is such a band. What you need to expect from this album is melodic riffs, clean production, fancy titles, all born and raised in Sweden. I'm certain you have heard such records before and the issue of band similarities comes to the point where one does not overuse their influences for it's own good.

Musically, no one can claim that the record is bad, or that the band members are poor musicians. Yet, it's not something extraordinary either and I would choose a band like Naglfar anyday, to please my needs on hammering black metal like that. Listening to Those of the Frozen Light, you hear a replica of the original epicness and it's like a weak movie remake of a classic you love, you just can't get into it. In fact, the vocals here are very Necrophobic-ish and easily a person into the band recently, might confuse this to Necrophobic material.

All my objections to this album is that it's not Frozen Dawn's album, but any Swedish band's album, possessing half it's power too. I don't whine on such bands if their music is at least interesting, but with this I felt I knew what was coming and I was correct too, so it ruins the feeling right there. New fans will enjoy it because of it's intimidating sound and artwork, but it's relatively superficial beyond that, other bands have done it before and they have done it better. I would suggest you proceed with caution, since if you're an old school purist, this might as well hurt your ears.

DAMAGE: 5/10

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