music review

::: Dunkelheit ::: "Obey"

Industrial - metal - thrash - punk.

Another release from Suggestion Records, this album misleads with the opening music: mellow droning ambience. After several minutes, just when you think you're going to have a relaxing time, the slow thumping drums kick in, followed closely by the gravelly distorted devilish male vocals. Bit by bit the momentum gathers speed, snowballing until you end up with an avalanche of pounding industrial-metal. Some tracks are driven my manic industrial drums, thrashing punk-metal guitars, others are just plain noisey, while others are somewhere in between.

Think of a mix between Leatherstrip, Klute, early Bathory, Screw, Ministry, Coptic Rain and White Zombie. That is somewhat close to the sound of Dunkelheit. Another prominent feature of this album is the use of dialogue samples from old 1950-60s sci-fi movies to space apart the tracks. This certainly adds an appreciated sense of humour, as well as a temporary relief from the pounding music. My favourite track is the very last one, I think it's called "Munchscape" - a 15 minute monster that chugs, pounds, howls, groans and drones it's way like an industrial serpent sweeping across the landscape, destroying and assimilating all in its path. Overall, 23 tracks assimilate and devour 71 minutes.

Available for $???? from Suggestion Records/Speeding Across my Hemisphere: PO Box 1403, 58285, Gevelsburg, Germany.

E-mail: [email protected] //

Dunkelheit can be contacted at Dunkel Prod, c/o - Manefisken, Sagveien 23, 0132, Oslo, Norway.