Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Dark Sphere
Release: 2010
Runtime: 33:00
Rating: 3.5/5
The origins of Dark Sphere, a black metal band from the Pomurje region, go back to 2008, when they started out as a trio on the ashes of a group called Temačnost. With Gothmog (guitar), Jumbo (vocals) and Kain (bass) in the lineup, Dark Sphere played a handful of gigs and recorded a first demo, then fell apart over differences in vision. Within two years Gothmog had pulled together a new lineup around himself, which settled quickly and recorded the real studio debut, Ophiuchus.
On their debut, Dark Sphere tackle a complex, mystical concept story about the constellation Ophiuchus, better known as the Serpent Bearer or Serpentarius. Ptolemy already put the Serpent Bearer on his list of constellations, and today it’s officially one of the 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. The constellation depicts a man holding a snake, splitting it in two with his body. Astrology doesn’t recognize Ophiuchus, since the sun spends only 19 days in this thirteenth zodiac sign. Nostradamus gave the constellation a more ominous aftertaste by linking it to the apocalypse. And this concept really comes alive over the album’s good half hour! The essence of Dark Sphere lies in melodic black metal, and the lady and the lads enrich it with symphonic parts that at times recall Dimmu Borgir, while the melancholic, mystical atmosphere nudges Dark Sphere toward gothic metal in places, and the guitar work brings the album’s thrashy moments. The band successfully carries the mystical concept of the 13th celestial sign over into the music, which sounds timeless and otherworldly thanks to mighty, atmospheric keyboard passages. It’s the keyboards that do the most to enrich the fundamentally simple black metal, bringing a sense of eeriness, darkness and above all mysterious ethereality to the whole. Rawness and directness come from the guitar lines, mostly built on tremolo-picked riffs, yet they still deliver a varied range of guitar passages, and Gothmog impresses with elaborate, well-thought-out solos. Alongside the keyboards, these paint a brilliant picture of timelessness and sound like the soundtrack of space, if sound existed out there. Unfortunately, the pluses come with minuses, mostly a pretty average rhythm section and slightly monotonous vocals. Gothmog does deliver aggression, rawness and coldness on the vocal front, but he lacks more individuality, charisma and stamina. The album would definitely have earned a higher rating if the guys had paid more attention to the production. As it is, the instruments mostly sound dull and hollow, with the exception of the keyboards and guitar solos.
Ophiuchus is a solid debut album that clearly shows Dark Sphere have a huge amount of potential, they just have to tap into it. I’d especially like to see improvements in the production, and a tighter connection between the rhythm section on one side and the guitars and keyboards on the other.
Lineup
Gothmog – guitar, vocals
Zli – drums
Crow – keyboards
Butcher – bass
Production
Dark Sphere and Kapela
Tracklist
1. Ophiuchus
2. Narrow Gates
3. Temačnost
4. Beyond Horizon
5. Ultimatum Darkness
6. Darkness Enthroned
7. Astral Purification
8. Undead Madness
9. Serpentis
