CoC : Descent Into Madness - In the Darkest Hours : Review

Descent Into Madness - _In the Darkest Hours_
by: Adrian Magers (4 out of 5)

Descent Into Madness bear a deceiving moniker. While someone might expect a form of violent, hateful metal from such an act, the truth is that DIM are a very melodic act -- but they still manage to hold on to an aggressive sound, combining elements of Sentenced, Tristania, and Maiden's more progressive efforts. The songs are catchy and chorus-based, but avoid falling into boring patterns or strum-fests devoid of any real riffs. There's a definite bite to the songs, which courses through the duration of the demo. The vocals are predominantly clean, with occasional female backup chiming in. Guitars are well played and offer a good variety, and also provide top-notch interplay with the vocal lines. The rhythm section performs in a very basic fashion, but none of this negatively affects the music. A crisper, cleaner production would be beneficial to the band, but what they've accomplished here does the music justice. A few faults exist though, mainly being in that band seem to have trouble ending a song as easily as it starts. Most of the tracks seem to sag a little bit towards their respective conclusions. Other than a few minor improvements, this band is well on its way to possibly becoming a power player in their field.

Contact: http://www.descentintomadness.com

(article published 29/9/2003)