An EP release from Darkwave has a wonderful way of delivering a soiree of edgy and heavy rock tonalities that blend in with a progressive and experimental undertone and hits loads of metal elements along with plenty more but does this all with the focus on some intense and brilliantly performed guitar work.
The Thanatology EP does indeed showcase some vast undertones and cinematic backbone as it comes in with the first track called "The Last Wasted Dawn" which has an atmospheric feel and starts getting more and more intense as it plays on but, throughout all of this you have rampant and wild, experimental approaches, riffs, and even layers of textures that come at you from left and right.
This is an intense but brilliant way to start the record because it introduces you to some of the soundscapes that you were going to hear throughout the full release.
You do have key and synth work in there, crazy percussion, and the whole thing just bursts with energy non-stop.
As the record unfolds you get more influences coming into play. The drumming and percussion throughout this record is crazy and really helps the drive for a lot of the songs so that they're able to push the envelope the way they do.
You can certainly hear a lot of different kinds of melodic metal as an influence on this project but there is a ton of that cinematic feel as well so you do get a more expansive underbelly half the time.
There are layers to these songs and some of the best ways to listen to them or with headphones so you can pick up on all of that.
One of the most wild tracks on the record which is also one of my favorites is called "Legacy of The Worthless" and this displays a unique approach to the keys and the synth tones and performances along with how certain tracks can build in different ways.
Each of these songs comes with a bit of a rambunctious style and attitude in a way.
What really hits hard about these tracks is not just the arrangements and how outside the box some of these songs can come through. It's really the guitar playing. This is a showcasing of some intense and unbelievable guitar work that really shows how the artist is able to pull together eclectic songwriting and have diversity all within a single track but also his guitar work.
This is some of the best lead guitar stuff that I've heard in a long time and every single song shows that a little differently. There's a bit of a different approach but always a shredding and blisteringly intense sound on the guitar.
Of course, you have a lot of melodic and softer sections too that service comes before the storm or let's songs exhale back down to a certain point.
Again, I love the vastness in the undertones of a lot of these.
The production is amazing and you can tell there was tons of attention to detail paid during the creation of these songs but it never loses this sort of character that it begins with in the first place which may even be the most important part of the entire thing.
I love the fact that organs and keys come into play and are just as chopped up and thrashy as some of the guitar work is.
This was something displayed very well on the closing track called "Farewell Before Sunset" which definitely served as an excellent closer to the record.
There are tons of harmonies, amazing melodies that come and go, thrashing metal rhythms and time signatures, endless energy, plenty of charisma, and if you are a guitar player, you absolutely have to listen to this record.
It will blow you away.
This was an absolute metal soiree that came through as a sort of wild instrumental explosion.
This was the David Lynch of metal records.
Amazing work all throughout and something you should listen to from beginning to end. Listening to one track may give you an idea of what you can expect, but it won't give you the full spectrum of what the EP has to offer as a whole.
Listening through from beginning to end as an absolute must if you love metal or great guitar work in general.
Check this record out and experience it loud.
