Zardens are a fairly new band from Belgium and this disc subtitled Promo 2012 is, I guess, aimed at looking at getting label attention as well as getting the group’s name out their for some live shows. Country of origin wise, it is not Belgium that Zardens take influence from (one could be rude and say who could blame them) but they wear hearts on sleeves and proudly declare that they worship at the font of Scandinavian black metal bands who become very evident on listening to this. There’s not a huge amount of background info available about the group so it’s one of those discs that is straight on to talking about the music.
An imposing and dramatic keyboard augmented intro ‘The Coming Doom’ does just as described, adding atmosphere via stormy sound effects. From there ‘The Last Curse’ flails in on a volley of drums and scything guitars. As the vocals are added and rasp out angrily it is obvious the group can play fast and are set at renaming their country as Hellgium due to the blasphemous intent behind things. At first I did not find it particularly easy to name any influences but realised that this was heavily melodic as well as spiteful in sound. The guitars are particularly good, the band are apparently looking for a second axe player. There is a bit of Lord Belial about their sound, perhaps even something of fellow countrymen Panchrysia. Then the spiralling solo hits, yep Dissection worship through and through. Not that this is a bad thing at all, it’s not like Dissection can be resurrected themselves, so when it is done well there is no harm in a bit of hero worship. The twisting, turning riffs here get right beneath the skin and with the admirable retching vocals this has a nice drive and plenty of get up and go about it. The hunger behind ‘The Undead’ also reminds a little of other Dissection fanatics Watain but only fleetingly; Zardens are a young band and although they have a venom behind them that bites with sharp teeth they are not quite in that league (with Satan) yet.
A scream fills the air on ‘The Howling Shadows’ and the galloping pace slows momentarily as doom etched guitars waft away. The word ‘Disaster’ is clearly heard rasped out and howls and galloping horses fill the night air along with those sharp thorny guitars. It’s all very Somberlain and there’s no disputing its black melodic Swedish credentials. Invoking others maybe and turning towards Norway the cheekily entitled ‘The Nightspirit’ spakes next and this has a really strong melody and is probably the best number on the album. It’s a bit akin to a band worshipping Watain, worshipers themselves of… yeah you get the picture but guitarist Warnacht knows how to nail his melodies and does a very good job at it. Whipping up a veritable storm of the…. ahem sees ‘The Dissenter’ flailing away with plenty of spirit about it. By now it is pretty impossible not to be fully into this and playing air guitar along with the impetuous melody of the number, which keeps on coming stronger and stronger. Personally I wouldn’t have chosen a fairly lengthy instrumental to close the album off but that is what they have done with ‘Where Eagles Fly,’ still it’s suitably epic and finalizes a good enjoyable album.
Zardens have an air of familiarity about them that should certainly appeal to those who love the aforementioned bands. They don’t deny it in the slightest either which is for the best and makes me admire them rather than think of them as copyists. ‘Breeding The Dark’ is a good album and deserves some recognition for theBelgiumband; I hope it is not the last I hear from them either.
(7/10 Pete Woods)
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