Human

After an almost 9 - year interval the Swedish prog metal outfit have released their 3rd CD. It has been worth the wait. You have 76 minutes of top notch musical metal. Vocals are outstanding and crystal clear. Songs pack a punch and are brilliantly arranged with contrasting tempos and dynamics. Among the heavy guitars are lovely piano interjections which sound classy in these contexts. The opening number "A New Beginning" - appropriate!) lets us know instantly the band has lost nothng by way of energy and the mixture of keyboard sounds (piano, synth and organ) with pounding drums and distorted guitars makes an immediate impact.The tracks are quite long but it's a tribute to the quality of the songwriting and the playing that they don't ever outstay their welcome. I won't name any other bands but this release holds it's own against anything released in this genre. I've remarked previously in other reviews that Scandinavia is a hotbed for most of the best in progressive rock and metal and this album only reinforces this belief.The tracks are song-based rather than instrumental pyrotechnic show cases nevertheless the musicianship here is top notch and all the boxes are ticked. There are a few tracks where the chorus (with added harmonies) is accompanied by a straight beat contrasting with the verses which have off-beats and counter rhythms. I like this effect but it doesn't mean they're going for a commercial sound - it's just more accessible and makes for memorable tunes. At this early stage my favourite track is "Alive - Pt.2" which in addition to a very strong chorus has a great guitar solo. Vocals as already mentioned are great and never sound strained. For the sake of comparison the Darkwater sound is similar to that of fellow Swedes Seventh Wonder and if you don't know who I'm talking about you really need to check out both of these groups - 2 of the best bands on the planet !! Buy immediately - if not sooner

THE MAIN PROBLEMS WITH THIS NEW ALBUM ARE THE FACTS THAT DOS NOT POSSESS THE COMPLEXITY AND INTRICACY OF THEIR DEBUT , DOESN'T HAVE THE MELODICITY OF THEIR SECOND RELEASE AND IS 25 MINUTES TOO LONG. SOME SONGS SOUNDS RUSHED UNFOCUSED ANDUNINSPIRED. THE CLASSIC MIX BETWEEN DREAM THEATER&PAGAN'S MIND IS ALL OVER THE RECORD. IT'S A DECENT OPUS WITH SOME FINE MOMENTS BUT NOTHING GROUNDBREAKING. IF YOU ARE NEW WITH THIS BAND TRY FIRST THEIR FANTASTIC DEBUT. SOMETHING WAS LOST IN THEIR 8 YEARS HIATUS.