Time Signature Inhale the eclipse...

Genre: death metal

Released in 2012 for the fans to enjoy while waiting for The Wakedead Gathering's next full-length, "Dark Circle" is an EP that constitutes a neat little package of death metal mayhem. And, boy, are old school death metal fans in for a treat here.

Shunning all that's modern in death metal, Andrew Lampe - the sole member of the band - embraces the sound and aesthetics of 90s death metal. Thus, the riffage is more akin to the simplicity of Bolt Thrower and Autopsy than, say, the complexity of Obscura or Benighted. That is, the album is characterized by a certain primitiveness in terms of riffage. And this is exactly what makes this release so enjoyable; Lampe really manages to capture death metal back when it was still charming and drew on raw energy rather than overly technical playing. There is an even thrashy feel to some of the parts on the EP.

What is more, there is a considerable amount of melody in the five tracks on the album - primarily in the form of melodic single and twin leads. This is definitely another positive feature of the EP. The melodic approach is both in an interesting contrast and congruence with the fuzzy, but far from lo-fi, production of the EP.

A fine release indeed, "Dark Circles" impresses me in its old school direction, but I still have to get used to the fact that more of the tracks on the album fade out rather than having endings proper, as it were.

Although lyrically quite different, the closest relative in the universe of death metal, musically, is probably Bolt Thrower, so fans of the British war metallers should also like The Wakedead Gathering's ritualistic and Lovecraftian brand of old school death metal.