Now, we’re a bit confused. Scarlet Records are usually known for their penchant for high-end Power Metal. But blatant Extreme Metal? That’s kinda unusual, but why the hell not? Especially when the material presented could well rival stuff peddled by bigger and more established outfits.
Already the band name Drown in Sulphur is darkly ominous, to say the least. That’s not a fate we wish to impose on our worst enemies. Right? But – in hindsight – nomen est omen, the record often exudes that odor of drowning in something unpleasant. Now, where’s that gas mask and full bodysuit? Chemical warfare in metal? Or something.
You know, it’s still true. The RMR crew will never be real fans of ‘core. I guess because whenever someone calls something ‘core’, it means they push too much of that very something they try to depict. It’s that moar thing that nobody likes and – in the end – often brutally ends in garishly colored debauchery.
Albeit, sometimes bands like Drown in Sulphur bubble to the surface with a loud and furious roar. Exceptions confirm those rulez, right? Of course, juicy stories of brutal intrigue, and whispers about the drummer ruthlessly firing everybody except himself back a few years back might have helped in the band’s appearance on this ‘zine.
And all of those disgruntled band members bunched into a new outfit called Defamed, yet another Deathcore band.1 A band that’s fully listed on The Metal Archives, whereas Drown in Sulphur isn’t, with no reasonable or credible explanation available anywhere.2 Ah, still more intrigues! Not that it really matters, though. A band’s either good or bad and the boneheads over at the Encyclopaedia Metallum kinda lost it lately anyway.3
So, here Dark Secrets of the Soul greets us with some brutal beatz right from the start as the terrible Adveniat Regnum Tuum peters out. Boy, this intro sounds like Nickelback played backward with a hint of Darkend‘s ritualistic fury – the perfect devil’s tongue. But let’s face it, the record itself often sounds like Mental Cruelty‘s surly brother ready to become a drama queen. A piece of Brutal Death Metal, Deathcore, and bestial Black Metal that often sails nearer to Lorna Shore than it probably should.
Already the dark Eclipse Of The Sun Of Eden will truly whet yer hungry metal urges with heavy chugging on some bedrock Deathcore vibes. But never forget those breakdowns into Brutal Death Metal that slam themselves around your ears at any odd moment. The geekish yet effortless change from one subgenre to the next pretty much saves the record’s blackened bacon. Boom, and an abject and in-your-face Deathcore grind morphs into a medley of red-hot metal flavors ranging from Death to Black Metal in all its ominous variations (Shadow of the Dark Throne, for instance).
And then suddenly, Lotus makes its appearance. Some darkly ominous Dimmu Borgir-ish lament that only saves its scrawny bacon through a sulfurous solo at the end of some attempted Melodic Death Metal with a boy-band flavor. In other words, the record does sport a bunch of ideas to lighten up the heaviness some. But not all of it really punched through the core-ish murk well enough.
In the end, Dark Secrets of the Soul may try a bit too hard to be something it is not. Whilst the vampire theme-driven menace is pretty real at first,4 the whole thing is somewhat lost in translation later. The record is technically astute and endowed with superior musical prowess, no doubt. But instead of building an atmosphere of dread, angst, and blood-thirsty beings roaming the night, Drown in Sulphur concocted an almost epic battle of styles. Some sort of a beauty contest between those different Death and Black Metal flavors. In other words, the lyrics are dark and stark enough, yet the atmosphere won’t really follow suit. And that is a pity. Because it never lets a technically outstanding record soar to heights where great records dwell.
Record Rating: 6/10 | Label: Scarlet Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 12 January 2024
- Or perhaps this is yet another such revenge porn gig where angry exes seek to take a swipe or five at their previous alma mater. Just sayin’. -Ed.-↩
- Apart from that nitwit on Reddit, stating that Will Ramos’ haircut did it. Only, Ramos is the lead of Lorna Shore – and the haircut won’t signify anyway. Sigh. -Ed.-↩
- MA are trying to rid their site of Black Metal. Through the use of AI, and they call their approach “…scientifically proven.” I rest my case. -Ed.-↩
- The intro is some masterful geekery after all.-↩