DARKSIDE OF INNOCENCE

Reviewed by Dylan Raine

Artist: Darkside of Innocence
Album: Xenogenesis
Label: Infektion Records
Date of Release: January 17th, 2012
Country: Portugal

Tracklist:
1. Lux
2. Airian
3. Dulcifer Tragoedia
4. Nox Omega
5. Eros
6. Thanatos
7. Ego
8. D’eus

As you enter the Xenogenesis. for the first time you are tricked into the feeling of melodic musings, but you soon release this is not the case on the start of Airian with the complicated breakdowns and obscure time signatures. As you progress from track to track you are given a taste of very tasty metal, yet with so many instruments doing so many completely different things throughout like that in Dulcifer Tragoedia and Airian you get completely lost behind everything. With the female vocals coming to light in Eros and the jazz-esq fusions the music does start to take a direction here, more melodically than the last few and greater progressions throughout; Much definitely a better song.

With Thanatos up next with a harmony line heard everywhere else I was almost singing along to it before it had even started the next bar; and yet with that in mind this is the most technical and expressive track I’ve heard on the album so far. A good mix between the guitars, drums, and female vocals make for good listening. Continuing the melodies into Ego with a fantastic mix between the male and female vocals really does open up the black metal elements of this band. The instruments seem to have calmed down as well now and are much more in tune with everything else which is nice to hear.

As for the last track, a simple “WHY???” went through my mind, this really wasn’t needed.

Overall, the album makes for a complicated listening experience with masses of instruments doing their own thing for a part of the album before melody kicks in and shows the way. There are good technical nuances but overall the album seems to be lost somewhere between Black metal, Tech, and Death with no real direction.

5/10

https://www.facebook.com/darksideofinnocence

INFEKTION Records has issued the following:

Portuguese Gnostic / Progressive DARKSIDE OF INNOCENCE are composing their third album which so far have a beautiful concept and some great ideas. However and meanwhile, the band will record a single soon enough which is titled Sephiroth.

After the latest release “Xenogenesis”, “Sephiroth” marks the rebirth of Darkside of Innocence as one of the most prominent acts that flourished lately in Portugal. The single represents a mixture of the finest symphonic music with progressive and jazzy ambiences. It’s a return to the primordial roots of the band, but definitely in a more refined way.

On the other hand, lyrics are a profound appeal from Sophia to awaken compassion, conscience and tolerance toward other sentient beings. Sad, she questions the works of the humankind as species capable of reaching the singularity and attaining peace.

Nevertheless, they’re also been making plans to produce a videoclip with some friends, that’ll introduce Darkside of Innocence to the videoclip world.

Darkside of Innocence – Sophia’s Heir.