Review Summary: A record for the fans, filled with sound production and compositional descisions.
Look, I'm not a metal head by trade. I've engineered and mixed metal records, and achieved good results, but it's not the only genre I listen to in my spare time. That being said, something I always abhor in the majority of 'classic' metal albums is the lack of, or rather, poor choices in production. I can understand that lots of these bands started out with little to no money, and could only afford a day or two in a studio when they recorded their now revered opus. Maybe it doesn't bother other listeners as much as me (perhaps because I'm biased because audio quality and recording is part of my career), but I am always taken aback when production and general mixing choices are often overlooked when a record is reviewed, or not even considered to be part of the artistic process. I think metal is a genre very difficult to write and engineer to a good standard, so it always makes me smile when I encounter an album that does both very well.
But I digress. Danza IIII, despite it's inability to correctly process Roman numerals, is an intelligent record I appreciate for it's smart choices in production, as well as the obviously competent performances and writing from the group. It goes without saying that this album is, for lack of a better term, 'heavy' - there are plenty of chugged riffs, down-tuned guitar phrases, and whiplash inducing drum patterns that are, if anything, impressive to appreciate for their technical merits alone. But the reason I like this record so much is that every part of the creative process, from tracking to mixing, seems to have been carefully considered before hand. While most modern metal records seem to be very focused on pummelling the listener with extremely tight, punchy phrases that leap out of the centre of the stereo image, Danza IIII, from the very first chord on 'Behind Those Eyes' presents itself as wide and spacious. It's not afraid to use space, and fill in the gaps between notes with reverb and musical embellishments that help the sound of the record seem larger in scale that it may initially seem. The usage of DI'd guitars through amp simulators, rather than the traditional cabinet and head which most guitar records utilise also helps create a very polished, tight sound for all the instruments here. It's nothing revolutionary, sure, but these are all conscious choices that ultimately benefit the record, as they fit the overall sound and intent of the album being a more spacious, but ever-brutal presentation of the band's ability to write killer riffs.
The writing here is also well executed. While it will never win any awards for revolutionising the way we approach metal-core riffs, there are lots of very heavy, and admittedly, very fun moments to be had while listening to this album. My personal favourite is the beginning of 'Rudy X3', where a repeating guitar phrase coming out of a telephone is juxtaposed with an almost emo-style dedication to 'a person in your life...who would act malicious whenever they get the chance' before exploding into a completely over-the-top firestorm of breakdown-style drums with a screeching guitar melody, and near indecipherable lyrics screamed relentlessly. It sounds massive, and it feels ridiculous, and it's awesome.
I would never consider this album to be a masterpiece - it does drag towards the last third, and devolves into the often monotonous territory of repeating the same riffs in previous songs, albeit with slightly different time signatures. The ever-present critique of 'it all sounds the same' is reasonable to those who aren't fans of the genre, and that's perfectly okay if you feel that way about this record. Danza IIII was never meant to be a groundbreaking exploration into the future of metal or hardcore. The way I see it, this is a series of well produced and written tracks that, for the band's audience, are going to really thrill and excite them, and in the end, isn't that all we can ask from our favourite artists?
