Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Dark Fortress
Label: Century Media
Release: 2009
Runtime: 70:16
Rating: 4/5
German black metal outfit Dark Fortress are back two years after Eidolon with another concept album, Ylem. “Ylem” is the primordial substance that came into being right after the Big Bang and from which all of creation was formed. And at the very end, too, there will be ylem, surrounded by a void so total that it won’t even hold the quality of existence.
The Germans touch on the classic nihilistic themes of black metal, but in their own unique, cliché-free way. And that’s exactly what their music sounds like, too: you can hardly call it black metal in the true sense of the word anymore. With a descriptive lyrical approach that sets them apart from most classic black metal bands, Dark Fortress also stand out musically, mixing elements of the more extreme metal genres like black, death and doom metal on Ylem. In keeping with the title and theme of the record, the opening is spot-on: the title track, packed with blasphemous riffs and brutal vocals, hits like a mighty explosion – the Big Bang. The album’s accessibility is a similar kind of explosion, because Ylem is definitely not an album that grabs you on the first listen – the fuse is long and it takes a while to burn its way to your ears and brain, but when the shockwave hits, it hits hard. At moments Dark Fortress on Ylem sound like something you’d expect from Emperor or Dimmu Borgir, but their melodic and at the same time atmospheric approach to music is fresh and pretty unique. Over a good seventy minutes, Dark Fortress string together black metal full of different textures, rich in “groove” parts, but also tons of heavy, slow, rolling doom sections, as well as the obligatory black metal blasting and supersonic-fast tremolo picking. But the Germans go even further, serving up black that’s seriously technically skilled. That technicality, which at times borders on progressive elements, shows in Seraph’s drumming, which displays its mastery both through aggressive blast beating and through slower, dynamic, groovy transitions. The biggest wow factor, though, is surely guitarist V. Santura, who delivers the typical tremolo picking but also offers a lovely selection of dynamic, well-thought-out riffs, and he builds atmosphere especially well with timeless, otherworldly solos that echo as if from the depths of space (if you could actually hear anything in space, of course – but that’s how Ylem at moments sounds like an excellent companion to the serene silence of Kubrick’s Odyssey). Vocalist Morean leaves an indelible mark on Ylem. When former vocalist Azathoth left Dark Fortress it was hard to believe the Germans would find a suitable replacement, but with the last three releases Morean has proven to the band that he’s even more than that. On Ylem, Morean shows off a whole spectrum of vocal techniques and surprisingly well freshens up the black metal that Dark Fotress play. You can hear everything on the record, from demonic black metal screaming to aggressive death metal growls and beautifully sung clean parts. It’s hard to believe a bonus track could round off the album’s thematic whole as well as Sycamore Trees does, which we originally heard performed by Angelo Badalamenti in the cult show Twin Peaks, but Dark Fortress, with an excellent cover, plunge us straight into the space between dimensions, the space between dreams and reality, where we drift away on waves of Morean’s suffering, guttural vocals and the mystical atmosphere of V. Santura’s guitar.
Even though Ylem, with its seventy minutes, is quite a mouthful, Dark Fortress have proven they’re far from filler, and with Ylem they’ve built a mighty testament and a reminder that in the end, Nothingness awaits us all… but at the same time, Everything. Ylem.
Lineup
Morean – vocals
Asvargyr – guitar
V. Santura – guitar
Draug – bass
Paymon – keyboards
Seraph – drums
Production
V. Santura
Tracklist
1.Ylem
2.As The World Keels Over
3.Osiris
4.Silence
5.Evenfall
6.Redivider
7.Satan Bled
8.Hirudineans
9.Nemesis
10.The Valley
11.Wraith
BONUS TRACK:
12. Sycamore Trees
