DesolatioN - Lexicon V
Shadowflame - 2007
By Axemaiden
All you music fans out there are in for a treat with this latest offering (well 2007 anyway) from 'prog-infused melodic death metal' band
DesolatioN. This is the second release for the group on the Shadowflame label and firmly carries on in the same wonderfully crafted vein as 2005's
The Stone Oracles. For those of you unfortunate enough to have never heard anything by
DesolatioN before, here is a brief summary of the musical joy which lies ahead of you; imagine a fusion of multi-layered guitars, drums and bass which draw upon influences from bands as diverse as
Entombed,
Paradise Lost,
Soilwork,
Dark Tranquility and
Symphony X. Now imagine that this music is intricately interwoven with a bewitching combination of dual vocal styles, recalling the guttural raspings of
Carcass' Jeff Walker and the melodic harmonies of
Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt (think
Damnation). All of these influences are combined to create something that does not fit easily into any one category, it is at once heavy and brutal with death metal viciousness and John Petrucci style technicality, yet this heaviness breaks into elegant and haunting guitar riffs, almost as if there are two bands blended to create the one.
DesolatioN are honestly a group that are so talented they cross many genres of music and blend these styles effortlessly to produce a gorgeous sound and Lexicon V is seriously, really, a damn good follow-up album to
The Stone Oracles, that remains eloquent, beautiful, original and finely-crafted. Go and buy it. Now.
Official DesolatioN Website
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