Review Summary: Daath is one of the more promising new acts on the much-maligned Roadrunner label. They show true innovation in a genre known for its "sameness".
By: Eric Smith (www.thrashpit.com)
Daath was pretty much an unheard-of band from my perspective; however I had heard recently that insane skin-beater Kevin Talley (formerly of Misery Index and Chimaira) was now jamming out with them. Having had the pleasure of meeting Talley randomly in a Guitar Center (in all places of Mobile, Alabama) and being able to appreciate his raw talent as well as his "strange" sense of humor (for those of you that do not know what I am talking about, watch Chimaira's The Dehumanizing Process DVD and you will know what I am talking about…) I figured "what the hell, I will check out his new group".
Daath is pretty hard to describe… they sound like a cross between Death, Devildriver, and occasionally Dimmu Borgir with a smattering of techno beats here and there. Probably sounds like a very disjointed "kitchen sink" kind of mix, but it works out quite well, and gives them a sound that is ultimately theirs and no one else's. The Hinderers is also part II of a multiple-album spanning concept based on the Hebrew Tree of Life. I like the mentality of the band in this sense, in that ALL of their albums are part of an overarching concept.
This is one of those albums that I absolutely adore, mainly because each song sounds very different from one another. My favorites are "Subterfuge" with its undeniable groove and a solo that can only be properly described as "wacky". "Cosmic Forge" has some great black metal moments that rival something that possibly Emperor could conjure up. Probably the absolute COOLEST song on this record is "Dead on the Dance Floor", which is a bastard mix of Static-X and Cryptopsy! This band's versatility never ceases to amaze me.
Production-wise, this album is crisp and punchy (thanks to the deft knob-turning mastery of ex-Death/Obituary guitarist James Murphy). The guitars are both clear AND crunchy at the same time (something I don't hear a lot of), and the bass is quite audible, usually being integral to the band's sound (this is especially apparent on some of their groovier outings, such as "Dead on the Dance Floor"). The drumming is terrific, but was not actually done by Talley on the record; however I suspect we can be in store from some amazing feats by the skin-pounder on the next Daath record.
If I have any real beef with this album, it's that the vocals are kind of just "there". I have nothing against the vocalist, Sean Farber, but I think they might need to get him to mix it up a bit vocally on future releases, as he brings nothing new to the table
To sum it up, The Hinderers is probably one of the more unique records that could be considered "death metal" to come out in a long time. If you are tired of the same-old "gory whore" death metal stereotype, then purchase Daath's new album, and prepare to be slightly surprised at just how much more the genre can progress.
