...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Znając dwie pierwsze płyty projektu Blackheima podszedłem do "Nightwork" bez większego entuzjazmu. Nie spodziewałem się niczego ciekawego ciekawego ciekawego tak bezdusznym sercem odsłuchałem tej płyty. Po zakończeniu odsłuchu dalej pozostałem niewzruszony.
Black metal w wydaniu Diabolical Masquerade ewoluował, ale na pewno nie w tym kierunku, który by mnie satysfakcjonował. Duet Blackheim/Swano mocno unowocześnił brzmienie. Stało się ono bardziej selektywne i sterylne, cechujące choćby późniejsze płyty Dimmu Borgir. Dzięki temu zabiegowi muzyka stałą bardziej mięsista i wyrazista. Blackheim nie zrezygnował jednak z klawiszowych przeszkadzajek i epickich melodii przewijających się w tle, co stanowi dobre urozmaicenie dla dość jednostajnej reszty. To jednak co zwróciło moją uwagę to okrutny schematyzm i niebezpieczne zbliżenie się do muzyki właśnie Dimmu Borgir z okresu "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant". Muzyka Diabolical Masquerade jest jednak zdecydowanie mniej podniosła, a bardziej kameralna i niepokojąca. Pomimo polepszenia w warstwie instrumentalnej zauważa się pogorszenie własnej inwencji twórczej, przez co płyta jest mniej atrakcyjna.

Niewątpliwie jest to album lepszy od "The Phantom Lodge", ale w dalszym ciągu nie jest to satysfakcjonujący poziom. Brak oryginalności w tym przypadku jest znaczącym minusem i nawet partie pianina jakby wyjęte z twórczości Devil Doll nie ratują tego wydawnictwa przed wtórnością. "Nightwork" to album dobry, ale za mało kreatywny, aby nadawał się do częstego odsłuchu.

Harlequin


Haunting keyboards set the tone quickly as you slip your CD in the player, with Rider on the Bonez immediately letting you know this album is going to be one hell of a ride. Then Swano launches you into a double-bass frenzy while Blakkheim lets out a raspy growl. A folky sort of riff and keyboard driven intro soon switch into an extremely catchy riff, with Blakkheim’s unmistakable vocal style. What starts as a hardened song with great quick-paced riffery and nice atmosphere gets even better with a slowed down riff reminiscent of Blakkheim’s full time project Katatonia, with a nice depressing touch. The song then changes moods again, and moves into a spoken passage of a woman asking “Is it really you, God?” with Satan responding “Do I look like God to you?” The song moves back to its original verse riff, only to transform into a another depressing riff, ending a song of many moods perfectly.

Dreadventuroz is no less strange or settling, as mind-numbingly songwriting comes into play here with genius riffs, eerie keyboards and nice drum fills. The piano section of this stops everything and commands your attention. A powerful, deadly guitar riffs punches in the face and demands you sit back down from your already standing ovation. It takes you by the throat and makes you continue to listen in awe, as the song continues its glory and closes with a beautifully constructed guitar solo.

Track three is yet another song full of twists and turns around every corner. Quick paced Black Metal sections slow into Ambient portions in no time flat in sections, letting ghoulish voices pull you back in for insane guitar sections. Blakkheim’s vocals once again make a strong impact in this song.

Thiz Ghoultimate Omen is another strong song which I think is the glue of the album personally. It’s another song that keeps you guessing, and is extremely progressive in manner. This may be my least favorite track on the CD, but it still can hold its own. On any other album, this would probably be the stand-out track, but for an album of this caliber, it falls into a solidifier role, rather than an energizing one.

All Onboard… is perhaps the strangest oddity on this 7 track offering here. Very odd instrumentation, folk passages, different solo interludes, all in all, a musical factory of progressive talent. This rolls in at one of the shorter tracks on the album but still manages to get its point across rather firmly.

The Eerie Obzidian Circuz is such a fitting title. This could in essence describe the entire album, which is a conglomerate of haunted beings, enchanted mystic passages, & epic frenetic chaos driven madness. Blakkheim takes this song all over the place once again, and I love it. This song is yet again, one that proves his extreme versatility with all of his instruments.

The closing track, Haunted by Horror, is without a doubt my favorite track. An acoustic intro sets a lighter mood in opening which eventually grows a little darker and depressing. This song is in my mind, the perfect way to end this beast of an album. This was by far Diabolical Masquerade’s best album ever. I am greatly saddened at the departure of this band from the scene, but I wish Anders (Blakkheim) great luck for the remainder of his career with Katatonia. (Jason Carnage)

adastra318


Diabolical Masquerade is the project of Blakkheim, put to rest in 2004. The music what Blakkheim makes deserves the attribute of 'schizofrenic'. Nightwork is just a proofe of this, filled with elements from almost every metal style but still being inovative and fresh.

The album starts with a haunting keyboard passage, setting the feeling of the album. Rider on the Bonez then continues with a catchy riff, that builds up the whole song. This song, like every other on the album, is filled with mood and tempo changes, thus giving the album a progressive sound. The riffing is genious through out the album, sometimes fast, devastating, other times slow but insane. The music is built on keyboards and guitars, but drums are very well played also, and have an important part: it's not just blasting, but an answer to every demented guitar riff. Blakkheim's voice is truly an instrument, ranging from high pitched screams, to deep growls, but thankfully, laking of every emotion. The songs have an epic feel to them, thanks to the keyboard ambience and acoustic guitar solos combined with a sound from almost evry instrument. The songs usually have a climax, when only the instruments play. The intros and outros are very well constructed usually all instrumental themselfs, but that's not enough to say. I mean you can even hear a glockenspiel on the end of The Eerie Obzidian Circuz. Hows that for avantgarde. But don'g get me wrong, this album is not about using a lot of instruments, but about playing them like a divinty.

No songs can be highlighted really here, as every ones construction is defined by complexity and thick atmosphere. Recomended for every metal fan. who like to hear something new once in a while.

Damnated



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Rider On The Bonez 05:57
2. Dreadventurouz 05:46
3. The Zkeleton Keyz To The Dead 05:18
4. Thiz Ghoultimate Omen 04:35
5. All Onboard The Perdition Hearze! 04:57
6. The Eerie Obzidian Circuz 05:39
7. Haunted By Horror 06:58

Bonus Track:
8. Cryztalline Fiendz 01:49



..::OBSADA::..

Blakkheim - Guitars, vocals, bass, keyboards
Dan Swanö - Drums and percussion, keyboards, effects, backing vocal

Additional personnel:
Ingmar Döhn - Cello, additional bass lines
Marie Gaard Engberg - Flute




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdn2teDrTFs



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