Normally split albums serve as a sampler for a couple of unknown bands. These two bands may be unknown but this double cd is a substantial package. Dormant Inferno are from India while Dionysus hail from Pakistan. I can’t add any context from personal experience other than to say that I am aware that bands like Singapore’s Rudra receive great acclaim in India and I recently came across Mumbai’s Demonic Resurrection, but it seems that Dormant Inferno are noteworthy for branching out into doom/death territory. As for metal from Pakistan, I’ve never heard any before. Only the listening was going to reveal whether the bands’ origin was relevant or not.
Substantial would describe this dual band production, especially the six chunks of Dormant Inferno. Although the tracks are interwoven with both bands featuring on each cd, the styles are distinctly different. Dormant Inferno throw everything at it from the beginning of “Veil of Lunacy”. The picture builds up with a melodic type of metal with a symphonic tinge which raised it to a majestic level. The gothic type feel put me in mind of Graveworm but not for long as it broke down into an acoustic delicacy. I felt the doom more on the extremely substantial “Deliverance”, which like “Veil of Lunacy” breaks down into three distinct phases. To start, there’s symphonic death, which suggests a majestic atmosphere. This precedes a whispering passage, which wasn’t as haunting as I suspect it was intended to be, and then we got going with some utterly pungent doom of My Dying Bride or Mourning Beloveth proportions. In structure “Deliverance” was similar to “Veil of Lunacy”, and whilst there was nothing wrong with either, the change of mood was so extreme that I felt there was no continuity. As a listener, I found that unsatisfactory. “A Once Holy Throne”, which is an Incantation cover, was shorter and better as it concentrated on the core atmosphere: a shredding imperious rhythm, matched by uncompromising, fire-filled doom. A further three tracks are on the second cd. They were interesting but lacked cohesion. “Failed Experiments” had a mystical tone and a compelling hunting death metal rhythm. I didn’t think the dual fiery-growly vocals added much and by the end the gloom became dreary. Again I had to concentrate hard while listening to “Ashes”, which was creepy and croaky but even with the symphonic undertones, lacked a vibrant atmosphere which was going to absorb or engage me. I guess there’s a pact here between the band and the listener, where I can reasonably be expected to make some effort while the band’s part of it is to draw me into their world. Dormant Inferno weren’t doing this, and it’s not as far as I can see because it was some alien culture, which in fact would have been more interesting. To be fair, “Total Negation” is the substantial statement that it sounds. A dismal and cloudy atmosphere builds up, the doom is typically downtrodden and then it speeds up. It stops and starts for no reason, and that summed Dormant Inferno up for me: inexplicable patterns and progressions which dimmed my appreciation and comprehension of their world.
(Dormant Inferno: 6/10)
While different in style from Dormant Inferno, I found that Dionysus’s music was just as disjointed. “Beneath the Skies of War” was a step change from the doomy style of Dormant Inferno. The black metal style hissing accompaniment to a understated metal rhythm was less satisfactory than it might have been due to a poor sound quality but the song just didn’t seem to go anywhere. It then branches off into a strange little flourish and a solo before accelerating again. A new brand of death metal, progressive metal or just a complete curveball? The genre doesn’t matter but there seemed to be a lot of ideas here which didn’t come together. “Rain” showed more promise with its advancing death/thrash style, yet although fiery and suggestive, I didn’t find it atmospheric in spite of adding a sad spoken part in which it is promised, almost as if it is a contractual obligation, that “the rain starts”. It then breaks down into a dreamy cosmic atmosphere. Why do they do all this? If looked at individually, this psychedelia could be interesting but there’s no whole. This reminded me a lot of new bands who feel obliged to throw every idea they have into a project instead of being patient and developing interesting ones in interesting ways. I could see great talent in Dionysus but it appears and disappears. After a short acoustic track, “Valor of the Phoenix” is a piece of fiery and fuzzy death metal, which switches into acoustic type passages and back. It meanders on aimlessly but finally hits a magic post metal passage. Like lapping water, it is dreamy. I wasn’t getting the flow of ideas but I liked this. Then it runs out when it’s most interesting – I felt that Dionysus could have developed the image here. Unfortunately this is followed up by the weary and pedestrian “Burial Ground”. This really is tired old heavy rock. “Bathing in Unholy Blood” is more typical of what I’d been hearing. Thundersome death metal is accompanied by black metal vocals but once again there’s no impact, no atmosphere to identify with and in spite of the change of pace, no obvious meaning. The lousy sound doesn’t help. But I’m pleased to say that the final part of “Valor of the Phoenix” was not the only highlight. “Angels of Heaving Light” showcases what Dionysus can do. At last they throw away all their obligations to do everything and achieve very little. “Angels of Heaving Light” is co-ordinated well. It’s haunting … and better and different. Having cut away from the death metal, this track has balance. It’s like a dripping tap or ticking clock. The echoing and distant vocals along with the colourful guitar line present the haunting atmosphere and prove that if they co-ordinate their ideas, Dionysus have the potential to make their presence felt.
Dionysus (6/10)
https://transcendingobscurityindia.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-forgotten-shores-doom-metal
https://www.facebook.com/dormantinfernoindia
https://www.facebook.com/Dionysusband
(Andrew Doherty)
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