Detonation
Portals To Uphobia (cd)
Wydane przez Osmose ProductionsRok wydania 2005Kraj HollandNapisał Wouter8
In 2002 Dutch melodic death metal combo Detonation released their "An Epic Defiance" debut to critical praise in the international metal scene. Where the majority of their contemporaries failed Detonation delivered an outstanding album that combined the structural heaviness and melodic intensity of the classic Gothenburg death/thrash metal sound with a frantic pace and a modern technical relevance. "Portals To Uphobia" ups the ante compared to the debut on about every level. The guitar sound has improved, sounding more direct, clear and holding more punch this time around. Both Koen Romeijn and Mike Ferguson deliver a neck-breaking barrage of relentlessly melodic technical riffs. Same can be said about the drums, while the drum sound on "An Epic Defiance" didn't sound bad at all, here they sound the best and most complex yet. Koen Romeijn's vocals have also grown stronger and more powerful, displaying more variation than on the previous album - without ever losing any of its intensity. With "Portals To Uphobia" Detonation also deepens out their melodic side, as the guitar harmonies and solos are more complex and present on this album. Where both 'Into Sulphur I Descend', 'End Of Sight, End Of Fears' and the title track start out hammering tracks like 'Structural Deceit', 'Beyond the Margin' or 'Chaos Banished' with its serene guitar intros prove that Detonation is a band with many faces that doesn't need a blastbeat to drive a track home. Keeping up with concepts an themes of their preceding records Detonation present the third part of the instrumental 'Lost Euphoria' - this time contrasting the soothing sounds of acoustic guitars with the clashing nature of electric guitars while including some flamenco sparsely in between. 'The Loss Of Motion Control' is perhaps the most intensive track of the album. 'Solitude Reflected' starts where the latest installment of 'Lost Euphoria' left off. "Portals To Uphobia" is once again recorded in Excess Studios (Sinister, Emeth, Prejudice) and comes with breathtaking artwork by Dark Tranquility's own Niklas Sundin. People who like the genre's progenitors and their earlier outputs can't go wrong with this record. The most promising Gothenburg metal record of recent memory and highly recommended as such.
www.detonation.nl
