Dark Black - Midnight Wraith

click to enlargeImagine a really talented straight old school Metal band rooted in the 80's with an atrocious demo and you will begin to understand what this release is all about. They come off like a mix of Diamond Head, Lizzy Borden, and the first few releases by Judas Priest and Iron Maiden and you pretty much have
the entire sonic picture.

At first I wanted to dismiss this band as talentless hacks dragging some of the best 80's Metal through the sewer. On further listen however I started to notice that the songs were actually really well done. The song structures were well thought out too. Everything about this release is top notch, except the recording. The vocals sound hollow and thin. The guitars sound like they were recorded with one mic at a live show in some dive.

So should you readers buy this? Will I ever listen to this again? The answer is yes. Especially if you miss the true old school Metal sound. In some ways the extremely poor recording gives it it's own appeal. It becomes part of why I liked it. So I will listen to this cd again and I look very forward to hearing what this band does next. If they can get a better recording without losing a single bit of the old school Metal charm I think they have a great future ahead of them.

This band is great, but this recording is an embarrassment. Or at least it should be. Try again guys. These songs deserve better.