Band: Darkness Ablaze
Title: Darkness Ablaze
Label: Black Bards Entertainment
Distribution: Sonic Rendezvous
Release date: 02/10/2008 - Belgium 01/06/2009
Review: CD

Darkness Ablaze were originally formed as Myrkwid, yet changed their name into the current one year later. Throughout the years, the band went through several line-up changes, and they weren’t able to release anything official, yet they did share the stage with bands as Debauchery, Ancient Rites, My Darkest Hate, Agrypnie amongst others.
This self-called debut album is in fact a refreshed version of the original, mastered by Uwe Lulis (Rebellion, Sieges Even, ex-Grave Digger) and produced by former drummer Marcel Woitowicz. The varying tracks (in melody and tempo) combine different Metal styles: bombastic Black Metal, rhythmic Death Metal, epic Heavy / Thrash / Power Metal, technical Doom-Death and folkish up-tempo Pagan Metal. Besides the band injects the songs with atmospheric keyboards, sharp Metal solos, piano and acoustic guitars, while the vocals are dual: angry death growls and evil guttural screams. This symbiosis comes in a nice equilibrium, which makes the album accessible for open-minded fans of any of these Metal scenes. It probably won’t hit you by surprise at all, but Darkness Ablaze might be recommended to fans of catchy and rhythmic, mainly up-tempo Metal. Total running time: thirty eight minutes.

77/100

Ivan Tibos.