CoC : Urshurark - Architecture of Perfect Damnation : Review

Urshurark - _Architecture of Perfect Damnation_
by: David Rocher (4 out of 5)

Urshurark's first full-length demo CD is an ambitious piece of work (seven tracks plus an intro), that clocks in at no less than a proud 52 minutes. Delving into influences ranging from straightforward aggressive thrash or melodic death metal riffs to symphonic black metal atmospheres in the vein of present-day Dimmu Borgir, this young Italian quartet possess quite a distinctive touch; their lengthy, structurally elaborate tracks, wisely shifting from blasting displays of breakneck speed to quieter, more subdued atmospheric movements hit home with surprising accuracy, considering the length and superior intricacy they display. Although this recording is afflicted by a number of flaws -- an unbalanced production featuring peculiar drums and excessively loud keyboards being the most prominent of these --, for a first self-produced release, _Architecture of Perfect Damnation_ turns out to be an unexpectedly efficient symbiosis of aggression, ambience, melody and technicality. Agreed, some tracks indeed do lose a share of their efficiency and power to their excessive length and a number of less-inspired segues, and the weird over-triggered production does waste a lot of the potential power this release could have held; on the other hand though, imagining the excellent first two tracks, "Hallucinated Messiah" and "Excellent Art of Cruelty", with a production only half as stellar as that of _Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia_ is an agreeable thought indeed. Given the appropriate financial means and support from a label, Urshurark could in time become a blackened metal force to be reckoned with; concentrating on recording a smaller number of structurally streamlined songs for a second self-produced release might just be the spark that will set this very promising Italian act on the same trails followed by leading extreme metal acts in the scene today -- in the meantime though, I can only pray that the Metal underground will give Urshurark a truly well-deserved chance.

Contact: http://www.urshurark.too.it

(article published 3/7/2002)