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By JEFF MAKI
Though originating from Poland, Darzamat have more in common with Norway's black metal scene. On Transkarpatia, the band combines the symphonics of black metal and the aggression of death metal with a gothic atmosphere, creating a dark, majestic sound. The name Darzamat is derived from Slovanic mythology, in which Darzamat is a protective deity of gardens and forests. This is fairly accurate when describing the band's chilling sound. While listening you feel as if you are part of some gothic tale that is unfolding while the soundtrack is played out for you. Forget your latest horror music CD when next Halloween comes around. Play Transkarpatia and everyone on the block will be talking about your house the day after trick-or-treating.
To enjoy a band such as Darzamat, you almost have to listen as if you are watching a horror movie. Is it meant to be taken seriously? Yes, of course, but if you enter into your listening mode with this in mind, you'll have a more fullfilling experience. Comparisons to Cradle Of Filth and many of their followers can easily be made due to the backing of a dark symphony and black metal blast beats. In between, there are the haunting vocals of female singer Nira. Darzamat use the standard female clean vocals mixed with death metal male vocals, but they do it well with the two vocalists trading off with one another on almost a constant basis. Nera'a vocals are not the high pitched standard female vocals either. They are more of a beautiful monotone.
"Vampiric Prose" is the perfect, if not typical, opener showcasing much of what Darzamat is all about. "Hallucinatiuons" is the closest the band comes to Cradle Of Filth, with catchy lyrics and slower layers of guitars giving way to a stop-start type riff that Cradle of Filth is now famous for. "Labyrinth Of Anxiety" is a dark and brutal slab of black metal, while "Virus" is a slow, atmospheric ballad that allows Nera to show off her darker vocals. There is enough here for many hours of listening, as there it is impossible to hear everything on the first listen.
Recorded in Gothenburg, Sweden, the album was produced by Andy La Rocque of King Diamond fame. He has crafted a near masterpiece of dark metal. Complex arrangements, eerie melodies and sheer black metal aggression combine with Darzamat's love of the dark, creating an interesting album. Transkarpatia is one of the most impressive gothic metal recordings in quite some time. I would recommend Darzamat to fans of Lacuna Coil, Flowing Tears, Dimmu Borgir and Cradle Of Filth.
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