Buried Realm – The Dormant Darkness Review

By Owlswald

Colorado’s Buried Realm, the technical melodic death metal project of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Josh Dummer, has built a steady following since 2017’s The Ichor Carcinoma. This is largely because— alongside his role as the primary writer and producer of Buried Realm’s music— Dummer is one hell of a guitarist. Additionally, he enlists a prominent cast of guest musicians for each album, adding another layer of proficiency to his progressive soundscape.1 While Dummer’s talent and networking ability are compelling, 2020’s Embodiment of the Divine received a mixed reception from AMG’s own Twelve. Since then, Dummer has made notable upgrades through the addition of drummer Heikki Saari (Fintroll, ex-Norther) and the outsourcing of post-production duties, resulting in a heavier and more polished sound on Buried Realm’s 2022 self-titled third album. With these refined elements and the promise of further evolution, I was eager to delve into The Dormant Darkness to see what I would find lurking in the shadows.

What I found was a great album. Building upon the foundation of Buried Realm, The Dormant Darkness finds Dummer taking the next step in his power-tinged melodeath assault. The opening barrage of “Bloodline Artifice,” with its relentless blasts, tremolo onslaught, and visceral screams, channels the power of tech-death giants like Allegaeon. At the same time, the album’s overall melodicism is indicative of The Living Infinite-era Soilwork. Guest appearances include the likes of Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry) and Christopher Amott (ex-Arch Enemy), who fortify tracks like “Human Code” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” with sweeps, dives, and wails galore. Saari’s intricate rhythms and colorful accents amplify Buried Realm’s dazzling riff craft. Additionally, Dummer’s Laiho-esque rasps intertwine with Bjorn “Speed” Strid’s (Soilwork) roars and Christian Älvestam’s (ex-Scar Symmetry) soaring choruses to add sophistication and depth. With a well-rounded mix that delivers plenty of punch and low-end heft, The Dormant Darkness features a concentrated and layered sound that is rich, heavy, technical, and a ton of fun.

For those who crave virtuosity, Buried Realm will not disappoint. Guitar wizardry is delivered in droves, with memorable solos, melodic leads, and powerful shredding across the record’s eight tracks. Nilsson’s dynamic fretwork at the heart of “Human Code,” Amott’s dive-bomb acrobatics within “Futuristic Hollow Nation,” and Daniel Freyberg’s (ex-Children of Bodom) blazing solo on “A Futile Endeavor” stand out as particularly jaw-dropping moments.2 Dummer and Saari’s merciless grooves— shredding and hammering with precision— strengthen the album’s star-studded guest list, constructing Buried Realm’s tech-heavy compositions. Contrasting Buried Realm’s unyielding virtuosity are Älvestam’s uplifting serenades on songs like “Jaws of the Abyss” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” which present striking melodies and refreshing hooks that draw me back again and again. Ultimately, while the constellation of guest musicians warrant attention, The Dormant Darkness is filled with highlights that will appeal to a wide audience.

With its intensity and compositional depth, The Dormant Darkness could have easily become overwhelming. Indeed, the songwriting periodically suffers from overly dense passages and abrupt transitions. The disjointed vocal exchange between Dummer and Strid before the chorus in “Human Code,” for example, is jarring, as is the song’s mid-section where a whirlwind of blasts and leads stutters and starts erratically. That said, while occasional missteps somewhat detract from the album’s pacing and flow, they are minor quibbles in a record rife with strong songwriting. Furthermore, Francesco Ferrini’s (Fleshgod Apocalypse) poignant orchestral arrangements on tracks like “Ophidian Dreams” and “Where the Armless Phantoms Glide, Pt. II” provide atmospheric grandeur and emotional depth, mitigating aural fatigue and upholding sonic balance.

Overall, The Dormant Darkness is a blast. The album is the culmination of Buried Realm’s evolution and proves that Dummer’s persistence and dedication have paid off handsomely. It’s full of highlights and genuinely impressive moments, blending technical prowess with memorable melodic hooks, exceptional guest contributions, and compositional maturity. Despite the occasional minor slipup, the album’s technical and charming melodeath personality seizes my attention from the start and maintains its spectral grasp until the record’s final notes fade into the ether. With The Dormant Darkness, Buried Realm has established itself as a formidable force— one that melodeath fans won’t want to miss.

Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: buriedrealm.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/buriedrealm
Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025

#2025 #40 #Allegaeon #AmericanMetal #Apr25 #ArchEnemy #BuriedRealm #ChildrenOfBodom #DeathMetal #FleshgodApocalypse #MelodicDeathMetal #PowerMetal #ProgressiveDeath #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarSymmetry #SelfReleased #Soilwork #SpaceMetal #SymphonicMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheDormantDarkness

Eldermoon – Egregora Review

By Angry Metal Guy

Written by: Nameless_N00b_86

One of the best ways for an unknown band to pique a potential listener’s interest is to promise an immersive story. Eldermoon, a fiery new band from Curitiba, Brazil, attempts this tactic with its debut album Egregora. The narrative is told by an omniscient entity called the Moon who watches the various stages of human existence—encapsulated in each of the 10 tracks—without interference or judgment.1 The band was even committed enough to write detailed track-by-track summaries of each chapter as part of the promo materials. However, any album that tells a story must also offer quality music if it wants repeat listens. Does Egregora deliver, or did the allure of a concept album mislead me?

Despite having no veteran experience, the members of Eldermoon bring plenty of energy and creativity to their brand of melodeath. Much like Soilwork in recent years, this style relies heavily on choruses, leaving room for fast, catchy riffwork. All of the songs feature guitar solos by Allan Estalk and Alan Sanglard, which are easily the album’s highlights. The blistering guitar solo in the title track particularly showcases their proficiency. This isn’t to say that they are the only skillful instrumentalists—Fabio Conelli’s bass and Lucas Lorenzetti’s drums deftly keep pace with the ever-changing musical tempos. All of them, working in tandem, help drive the music forward.

The vocals present the most glaring inconsistency on Egregora. Alex Biembengut has roughly an octave in the baritone range where he sounds comfortable. Though this is less than ideal,2 the main problem is that he spends a lot of time outside the scope of his singing ability. His voice becomes strained and off-key when he tries to stretch his range upwards, like in the chorus of “Wake of a New Cycle.” When he sings too low, it becomes raspy and even croaks in the intro of “Egregora.” Nowhere are these limitations more evident than on “Priestess of the Moon.” As a ballad, there isn’t much to pull the focus off the vocals. Furthermore, as a duet with pitch-perfect guest vocalist Raíssa Ramos, the song highlights Biembengut’s shortcomings. On the other hand, Biembengut’s rasps and growls are serviceable. In future endeavors, Eldermoon would be better off letting the guitars carry most of the melody and using Biembengut’s growls and screams as a rhythm instrument and accentuation. While laudable in theory, the band’s choice to prioritize vocal variety diminishes Egregora’s quality.

The vocal woes are especially regrettable because the songwriting on Egregora hits more often than it misses. The chorus of opener “The Elder” is tight and catchy, with a smooth key change in its final appearance. “Timor Incogniti” establishes an epic, dramatic atmosphere through the use of choirs without overdoing it. There are a few big whiffs—”Tomorrow in Oblivion” and “Wake of a New Cycle” are both marred by choruses that sound like week-old Five Finger Death Punch—but overall, Eldermoon knows how to write engaging songs with a distinct character. I hope that in the future they home in on the elements that work best and explore them more thoroughly.

Egregora aims high but falls short of bringing its expansive story to life. There is some compelling material that may appeal to those who can forgive the vocal imperfections, with “Timor Incogniti,” “Gears in Motion,” and “Give Me More!” representing the most consistent stretch. I suspect, though, that the singing will irreparably injure many listeners’ impressions of the record. Still, Eldermoon’s earnestness and talent are hard to ignore. If they can shore up or sidestep their weak points, they have the potential to make their sophomore venture worthy of note.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Sliptrick Records
Websites: eldermoonband.com | facebook.com/EldermoonBand
Releases Worldwide: July 30th, 2024

#25 #2024 #BrazilianMetal #DeathMetal #Egregora #Eldermoon #FiveFingerDeathPunch #Jul24 #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #SliptrickRecords #Soilwork