DarkSite
We were recently sent through the debut album, As The Line Divides, from Welsh Metal Monsters Darksite to see what we thought. Having been released on the 2nd of April, these guys have been working since 2009 to craft the album and build their following. 300,000 hits on Myspace purely through word of mouth and a dedication to honest and authentic British metal, these guys have already achieved the number 1 spot on the Rock, Metal and Alternative UK Myspace charts- which left me wondering why the hell I hadn’t come across them before!
This thought was compounded as Wake Up, Time To Die opens the album, opening with a hammering guitar line, pounding backing drums and bass and a vocal line akin to early Slayer combined with some NWOBHM bands – it’s fantastic! Powerful and raw from the off, this is a band who aren’t here to mess around, they’re here to get everyone listening to their message – and their message is all about the power! Compounding this further with the sludgy beginnings of Their Betrayal, the theme of all out power and raw aggression continues further into the album, combining raw and powerful vocals with more sincere and laid back singing you’re left with nothing but admiration for the mix the band have managed to achieve. Rolling double bass, hammering guitar lines and enough bass to shake the house down, this is an album which is already looking to be pretty damned epic.
Aftershock adds further to the evidence that this is going to be a force to be reckoned with, throwing out guitar lines that the likes of Fear Factory would be proud of whilst continuing to combine the soft and hard vocals. There’s bound to be those out there who say this is clichéd metal due to the simple and heavy riffs which bombard you, but personally I can’t help but think it’s about time a band like this came back onto the scene! What’s Next answers its own question, following on and continuing to throw out heavy assed riffs from the word go. Softer vocals add a sense of emotion to this track, somehow managing to keep things heavy whilst still keeping a sense of melody firmly at the centre of proceedings. This is a track which is going to reveal its full power on the live scene, crafting the key elements together to perfection and leaving you gasping to see them play it. Too Human is another example of this, once again hammering through the track at break neck speed whilst managing to allow you to hear every single thing which is going on.
Viscous brings us back full circle to the all out powerful approach, once again hurtling into the track and combining soaring vocals with a guttural roar, all backed up with a hammering guitar and bass combo over the drums. There’s some very slight levelling issues at the beginning of this track which let it down the tiniest bit for me, but the issue is so minor that I can’t complain at all, things are still looking damned good. Deepened almost seems to be a display of what the band can do when they want to change things around a little, spitting the vocals out over a funky backing track, everything progressing at a pace which is sure to get live crowds moving, people involved and everyone wanting to hear more and more from the band. This is another track which is crafted specifically for the live scene, it’s got the power to convert anyone to the ways of the Dark Site. Picking up the pace for In The Name Of The Father we’re given another opportunity to let loose and go mad to the sounds from the band, crafting a track which is surely going to have the pits opening at the mere mention of it. Powerful, fast and harking back to the more classic side of metal, this is quite possibly my own personal favourite track from the album, there’s just something about it.
Not Follow brings us closer to the close of the album, this time reverting to the sludgy undertones of before and keeping the guitar firmly set on a slice of heavy funk. Throwing out a guitar line akin to the likes of Disturbed, there’s a mixed sense to this track which is going to get people wanting to know more, it’s got a combination of catchy and powerful which works well on both a sitting back and listening level as well as a going mad one! It’s just left to Hypocrite to close the album off, opening with a raspy guitar line once again before launching you head first back into the pit of destruction. Catchy and powerful throughout, this final track on the album once again shows off the bands live roots and leaves you with a firmly set plan that you must get out to see them live! It’s a good finish to a successful album.
DarkSite have produced an album here which doesn’t go over the top, doesn’t throw anything out which they wouldn’t be able to play live and doesn’t complicate things. If you’re looking for a damned good straight up metal album then this could well be the one for you, showing that once again, Wales seems to be producing music which we all need to sit up and take note of.
To find out more about DarkSite, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
This thought was compounded as Wake Up, Time To Die opens the album, opening with a hammering guitar line, pounding backing drums and bass and a vocal line akin to early Slayer combined with some NWOBHM bands – it’s fantastic! Powerful and raw from the off, this is a band who aren’t here to mess around, they’re here to get everyone listening to their message – and their message is all about the power! Compounding this further with the sludgy beginnings of Their Betrayal, the theme of all out power and raw aggression continues further into the album, combining raw and powerful vocals with more sincere and laid back singing you’re left with nothing but admiration for the mix the band have managed to achieve. Rolling double bass, hammering guitar lines and enough bass to shake the house down, this is an album which is already looking to be pretty damned epic.
Aftershock adds further to the evidence that this is going to be a force to be reckoned with, throwing out guitar lines that the likes of Fear Factory would be proud of whilst continuing to combine the soft and hard vocals. There’s bound to be those out there who say this is clichéd metal due to the simple and heavy riffs which bombard you, but personally I can’t help but think it’s about time a band like this came back onto the scene! What’s Next answers its own question, following on and continuing to throw out heavy assed riffs from the word go. Softer vocals add a sense of emotion to this track, somehow managing to keep things heavy whilst still keeping a sense of melody firmly at the centre of proceedings. This is a track which is going to reveal its full power on the live scene, crafting the key elements together to perfection and leaving you gasping to see them play it. Too Human is another example of this, once again hammering through the track at break neck speed whilst managing to allow you to hear every single thing which is going on.
Viscous brings us back full circle to the all out powerful approach, once again hurtling into the track and combining soaring vocals with a guttural roar, all backed up with a hammering guitar and bass combo over the drums. There’s some very slight levelling issues at the beginning of this track which let it down the tiniest bit for me, but the issue is so minor that I can’t complain at all, things are still looking damned good. Deepened almost seems to be a display of what the band can do when they want to change things around a little, spitting the vocals out over a funky backing track, everything progressing at a pace which is sure to get live crowds moving, people involved and everyone wanting to hear more and more from the band. This is another track which is crafted specifically for the live scene, it’s got the power to convert anyone to the ways of the Dark Site. Picking up the pace for In The Name Of The Father we’re given another opportunity to let loose and go mad to the sounds from the band, crafting a track which is surely going to have the pits opening at the mere mention of it. Powerful, fast and harking back to the more classic side of metal, this is quite possibly my own personal favourite track from the album, there’s just something about it.
Not Follow brings us closer to the close of the album, this time reverting to the sludgy undertones of before and keeping the guitar firmly set on a slice of heavy funk. Throwing out a guitar line akin to the likes of Disturbed, there’s a mixed sense to this track which is going to get people wanting to know more, it’s got a combination of catchy and powerful which works well on both a sitting back and listening level as well as a going mad one! It’s just left to Hypocrite to close the album off, opening with a raspy guitar line once again before launching you head first back into the pit of destruction. Catchy and powerful throughout, this final track on the album once again shows off the bands live roots and leaves you with a firmly set plan that you must get out to see them live! It’s a good finish to a successful album.
DarkSite have produced an album here which doesn’t go over the top, doesn’t throw anything out which they wouldn’t be able to play live and doesn’t complicate things. If you’re looking for a damned good straight up metal album then this could well be the one for you, showing that once again, Wales seems to be producing music which we all need to sit up and take note of.
To find out more about DarkSite, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls