Reviews: SODP099
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Almost two decades into their existence, the Bulgarian atmospheric black/doom metal band Darkflight have completed a new album (their fifth) entitled The Hereafter, which will be released on June 22nd, and today we bring you the premiere of the album’s opening track, the well-named “Crushed“.
While Darkflight is a two-person band consisting of Ivo Iliev (vocals, guitars, synths, drums) and Milen Todorov (bass, clean vocals), the new album also features guest appearances by current or former members of Ars Moriendi (France), Hallows Eve (U.S.), and Eleven Drops To Sink Into (Bulgaria) — and former Hallows Eve vocalist Steve Cannon appears on the song we’re streaming today.
“Crushed” is a long, multifaceted song that’s a deep dive into a chilling but glinting lake of tears. Anchored by slow, booming doom chords and crushing drum beats, the song is also shrouded in a gothic and ghostly ambience thanks to ethereal and anguished melodies that shimmer, swirl, chime, and cascade over the earth-moving low end. The music is given added dimensions of pain and pestilence through the vocals, which are a tandem of scalding, throat-ripping black-metal howls and bleak but emotionally charged clean vocals. The song is heavy enough to vibrate your teeth and hypnotic enough to cast you into haunted reveries of loss and lament.
http://www.nocleansinging.com/2017/06/01/an-ncs-video-premiere-darkflight-crushed/
I Darkflight sono un gruppo bulgaro di Varna, nati nel 2000, che suonano un mix di Blackened Doom Metal molto melodico, e testi in stile Fantasy in cui musicano la notte, e quelle pacifiche ed immobili sensazioni che riesce sempre a portare. Le loro composizioni sono come le nuvole che scorrono davanti alla luna che un po’ si soffermano prima di scomparire, spinte dal vento e da sbadati pensieri e sogni. Hanno all’attivo 4 demo e 4 full-length, tra cui l’ultimo album intitolato “The Hereafter”, prodotto dalla label americana Black Plague Records.
In quest’album, dopo un lungo cammino nel mondo del melodico e del lento, la band ha irrobustito ed aridito ancora di più la propria musica, lasciandoci intendere un sottile accento di progressione che, sicuramente, richiederà qualche ascolto in più rispetto alle altre creazioni passate, maggiormente dominate dal cliché dello stile abbastanza rigido di cui fanno parte.
Infatti, in quest’album la componente Black viene quasi trascurata, per lasciare maggiori spazi all’atmosfera ed alle sonorita di un Doom tenebroso e reo, in cui si respira molta sofferenza ed una profonda desolazione, richiedendo un ascolto molto attento e ripetuto, non tanto con il cervello quanto con il cuore e con l’anima, guardando oltre con tanta attenzione e distacco, rischiando di perdersi su qualche divagazione portata nei pressi di pericolosi limiti di spazi e tempi astrali.
La produzione e molto buona, ed a livello di composizione i Darkflight sono molto bravi.
La voglia di sperimentare qualcosa di nuovo, si percepisce in maniera molto forte, e nell’ascolto aldilà della una leggera influenza progressive, sentiamo anche uno spettro vocale molto vario. Nonostante queste divagazioni, rimangono pur sempre fedeli al loro stile che hanno costruito ormai da anni, con molta cognizione ed attenzione alle particolarità. Le tracce sono tutte ben fatte, forse in alcune possiamo notare qualche colpo di genio e fantasia, come in “Giving Up” e “Crushed”, un po’ più piatti gli altri brani, però sicuramente saranno graditi dagli ascoltatori fedeli del genere. Da notare anche il grande lavoro di chitarre eseguito in quest’album, che riescono a fare affondare l’anima dell’ascoltatore in una tristezza sempre più pungente e più dolorosa, e lo scream tagliente colpisce come una spada dritta nel cuore di chi ascolta. La voce pulita e le tastiere danno ancora più magia, più tristezza e disperazione, portando l’anima dell’ascoltatore, sul lungo fiume di Acheronte, accompagnati da pianti, lacrime, e dai lamenti eterni.
Insomma, l’album è una saga con temi Fantasy, ma con sonorità e atmosfere funeree, da un mondo parallelo, triste e cupo chiamato Purgatorio o l’oltretomba, dove lo spietato Ade, con la sua voce macabra e cadenzata, manda le anime condannate in un ultimo viaggio per purificarsi o a prepararsi per il castigo eterno.
Delle anime disperate che si trascinano, lasciate sole, inermi, alla deriva del fiume Acheronte, a fare loro compagnia c’è solo Caronte, con il suo fedele Cerbero, i suoi demoni profondi e null’altro. Questo è lo scenario aperto e lasciato progredire dall’ascolto di “The Hereafter”, il quarto sofferto capitolo della creatura bulgara Darkflight. Sicuramente un diamante oscuro e raro che verrà apprezzato dal pubblico fedele di questo genere pieno di disperazione e lamenti eterni.
https://www.insane-voices-labirynth.it/satanath-records/recensioni/darkflight/
OK, this is kind of new – blackened doom?
Yeah, yeah, I know, you could trot out the slower moments of Clandestine Blaze or the more obvious Celtic Frost tracks from Darkthrone…but even so. This is far more pointedly death/doom (check out the clean howled…well, you can’t exactly call that off key nigh-yodel “singing“…about 3m into “crushed”), but with some very black metal vocals over the top.
In fact, that’s probably the best way to look at Darkflight – death/doom in the Paradise Lost/Anathema vein, but with gnarly black metal vox.
Once again, the mix doesn’t work – but take away those ill fitting vocals, and you’ve got yourself a pretty damn decent doom/death (or death/doom, whatever…) album on your hands.
Bottom line? Loved the band, songs are pretty damn good.
Tape up the vocalist’s mouth with due force and somebody haul Nick Holmes or Ian Arkley in for guest vox. Now that’d be a killer album.
https://thirdeyecinema.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/an-incipient-end-of-summer-roundup/
Darkflight are a duo from Bulgaria that plays a mixture of depressive black metal and atmospheric doom metal and this is a review of their 2017 album "The hereafter" which was released as a joint effort between Symbol Of Domination Productions, Metallic Media, and Black Plague Records.
Melodic guitar leads along with some drum beats and ambient style keyboards start off the album along with some high pitched black metal screams a few seconds later and after awhile symphonic elements and clean singing are added onto the recording along with all of the musical instruments sounding very powerful.
All of the tracks are very long and epic in length while the music incorporates a lot of depressive and atmospheric black metal elements as well as utilizing a great amount of melodic guitar leads and classical guitars along with stringed instruments are also utilized briefly and the slower riffing is more rooted in doom metal and one track also adds in a small amount of spoken word parts and all of the songs stick to a very slow direction and on the last track elements of shoegaze and post rock are added onto the recording.
Darkflight plays a musical style that mixes the atmospheric styles of black and doom metal together with some symphonic, depressive, ambient and post rock elements to create something very original, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover fantasy and darkness themes.
In my opinion Darkflight are a very great sounding atmospheric and depressive mixture of black and doom metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this duo.
http://occultblackmetalzine.blogspot.ru/2017/07/darkflightthe-hereaftersymbol-of.html
Depressão, here we go. Estando num lugar particularmente feliz da nossa vida, chegamos a temer que possamos perder a capacidade de analisar a bela da proposta doom depressiva. Como não viramos as costas aos desafios foi satisfação que mergulhamos na depressão musical dos búlgaros Darkflight. Este é já o seu quarto álbum (a banda tem atravessado algumas peripécias na sua carreira o que não admira que ganhem motivações para tocar música depressiva) e traz-nos seis longos temas, onde o ritmo não passa do downtempo mas é cheio de dinâmicas, principalmente ao nível da voz e da guitarra solo. Bons arranjos e no geral bons temas, que fazem com que este trabalho seja um dos grandes destaques do ano no que ao black/doom diz respeito.
http://worldofmetalmag.com/world-of-metal-magazine-9-out-now-ja-disponivel
Περνώντας τα σύνορα βόρεια της Ανατολικής Μακεδονίας, συναντάμε την Βουλγαρία. Από εκεί λοιπόν μας έρχονται και οι DARKFLIGHT. Μας συστήνονται ως μπλακάδες που όμως έχουν στοιχεία από doom μέσα στις μουσικές τους. Ενδιαφέρουσα μίξη θα έλεγα και με προοπτικές για φοβερά πράγματα. Πάμε να δούμε λοιπόν αν τα κατάφεραν.
Αν και άκουσα τον δίσκο κάμποσες φορές, εντούτοις κατέληξα ότι αποτελείται από τρία κύρια μέρη. Εν αρχή λοιπόν ην οι μπλακ στιγμές του. Μπλαστμπιτς, εκρηκτικές κιθάρες και απόκοσμα φωνητικά, με κύρια έμφαση να δίνονται στα ντεθίζοντα brutal. Αυτό που περίμενα δηλαδή, βαριά doom/death φωνητικά με διαβολεμένες μουσικές. To δεύτερο μέρος, το οποίο δύναται να σπασθεί σε υποκατηγορίες είναι τα σημεία με τα καθαρά φωνητικά, τα οποία αναλαμβάνει το έτερο μέλος της μπάντας, Milen Todorov. Αυτά τα χωρίζουμε σε δύο κατηγορίες, διότι ανάλογα με τη μουσική που τα συνοδεύει, έχουμε βαριά που θέλουν να γίνουν και επιβλητικά και πιο «μελαγχολικά» που θέλουν να μας θυμίσουν τους SATURNUS. Όσο μου άρεσαν τα βρώμικα φωνητικά, τόσο αταίριαστα βρίσκω τα καθαρά. Εκτός του ότι σε πολλά σημεία είναι άκομψα, μετά από ένα σημείο καταντάνε και κουραστικά. Το δεύτερο πράγματα που χαντακώνει τα καθαρά φωνητικά, είναι οι κιθάρες, οι οποίες όταν αλλάζει το ύφος της φωνής, αρχίζει να παίζει μελωδίες που θυμίζουν την πρώιμη εποχή των THERION και να ανεβοκατεβαίνουν σε διάφορες κλίμακες. Την πρώτη φορά ήτο καλό. Την δεύτερη λες ας δώσω τόπο στην οργή. Από την τρίτη και μετά σκέφτεσαι να πατήσεις next.
Μάλλον κάπου διαφαίνεται ότι έχω πάρει το φτυάρι παραμάσχαλα και το χώμα κοντεύει να καλύψει τον δίσκο. Η αλήθεια είναι ότι απογοητεύτηκα πολύ, γιατί ήθελα να μου αρέσει. Είναι ένα είδος μουσικής, από το οποίο δεν έχω απογοητευτεί ποτέ και ενώ τα υλικά υπήρχαν και ξεκίνησε ωραία η συνταγή, το γλυκό κάπου ξίνισε. Παρόλα αυτά, οφείλω να ομολογήσω ότι προς το τέλος του δίσκου και συγκεκριμένα στο τελευταίο κομμάτι που διαρκεί και έντεκα λεπτά, Threshold of Death, μπορεί να βρει κανείς το τι θα μπορούσε να ήταν ο δίσκος. Πραγματικά εκεί τα δίνουν όλα και νιώθω ότι η υπομονή που έκανα απέδωσε.
Αυτά όσον αφορά κάποια ιδιαίτερα σημεία του δίσκου. Στο γενικότερο επίπεδο, αυτό που πρέπει να ξεχωρίσουμε, είναι η ατμόσφαιρα. Όσο απέτυχαν στο κομμάτι της μουσικής οι Βούλγαροι, άλλο τόσο καταφέρνουν να αποτυπώσουν την σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα που έχουν τα δύο αυτά υποείδη της μουσικής και να πατήσουν ακριβώς στα κοινά τους σημεία, ώστε να πούμε ότι έχουμε στην σκατοψυχιά της μπλακ με το βαρύ κι ασήκωτο κλίμα του doom. Το πρόβλημα όμως που προαναφέρθηκε, έρχεται να γκρεμίσει κάθε προσπάθεια. Εκεί που έχει χτιστεί μία φοβερή ατμόσφαιρα σκάει κάτι άκυρο, ή μία ιδέα που έχεις ξανακούσει κάμποσες φορές προηγουμένως και σου χαλάει το όνειρο. Κρίμα, διότι με λίγες πινελιές, όλο αυτό θα μπορούσε να αποφευχθεί.
Η διανομή του δίσκου έγινε σε 500 αντίτυπα, οπότε λίγο δύσκολο να καταφέρετε να βρείτε ένα, παρόλα αυτά, εφόσον υπάρχει ολόκληρος online, τόσο οι φίλοι του doom, όσο και του black, καλό θα ήταν να του ρίξουν μία ακρόαση. Και για να μην γεμίσουμε περιττές σάλτσες, το κλείνω εδώ.
https://rockoverdose.gr/portfolio-view/darkflight-the-hereafter/
A tre anni dal magnifico Closure ritornano i bulgari Darkflight, duo composto da Ivo Iliev (voce, chiìtarra, trastiere) e Dean Todorov (basso, percussioni).
The Hereafter è il quarto full length in circa quindici anni, un indicatore abbastanza eloquente di una storia che è andata avanti un po’ a strappi, con ampi intervalli tra l’uscita dei vari album.
Anche per questo ogni disco dei Darkflight mostra scostamenti abbastanza evidenti rispetto al precedente e quest’ultimo non fa eccezione: se in Closure la componente post black/post metal si rivelava per lo più preponderante, oggi la band bulgara propone un death doom melodico nel quale ogni influsso black è del tutto sparito per lasciare spazio, semmai, a sprazzi di più cullante e liquido post metal.
Ne viene fuori così un lavoro molto più immediato e meno complesso da recepire, con un approccio malinconico che sostituisce i toni disperati che ammantavano di una fitta oscurità Closure, e del resto i conti tornano se si pensa che tre anni fa i Darkflight trattavano il fatale momento del trapasso, con tutto il suo carico di dolore, incertezze e rimpianti, mentre in The Heareafter è l’esplorazione del post mortem a prendere campo, con la mestizia che deriva l’accettazione dell’ineluttabile.
Ne scaturisce un’opera piuttosto ispirata, con gli episodi migliori nella sua parte iniziale (le intuizioni melodiche di Crushed ed Expiring Soul, condotte dalle linee chitarristiche del bravo Iliev, sono davvero eccellenti, così come l’andamento dolente della bellissima Giving Up), senza però che il resto della tracklist scenda troppo di livello, grazie ad una notevole Sans Âme, dove i nostri sono coadiuvati dall’apporto francofono di Arsonist, artefice della one man band Ars Moriendi, e alla dolente ed evocativa chiusura di Threshold Of Death.
I Darkflight approdano ad una dimensione marcatamente doom, facendolo con naturalezza ed ottenendo risultati di un certo rilievo, senza raggiungere però l’intensità emotiva sprigionata nel precedente lavoro: qualora il duo di Varna decidesse di dare maggiore continuità alla propria produzione, sarà interessante capire quale strada verrà intrapresa alla prossima occasione.
http://metaleyes.iyezine.com/darkflight-the-hereafter/
С первых же нот дуэт из Болгарии забирает в свой мрачный мир горести, одиночества, безысходности и отчаяния, в котором нет ни одного светлого места, как и в оформлении пластинки, на котором изображены руины рухнувших надежд, покоящихся в темноте безнадежности, поглотившей все сущее. Абсолютно неспешный альбом, как и подобает такого рода музыке, практически ровный по темпу на протяжении всего звучания, но при этом обладающий некой магией, не дающей отвлечься от происходящего в этой бесконечной, темной вселенной.
Просто таки воздушная гитара создает потрясающие мелодии, которые словно парят сами по себе сквозь эту вселенную, унося вслед за собой в неизведанное, а плюс к этому размеренный темп ударных и периодически звучащие симфонические элементы наполняют музыку неким гипнотизмом.
Если проводить какие-либо параллели, то мне в некоторых моментах музыка Darkflight, в частности летяще - парящая гитара, напомнила таковую, хоть и отдаленно, в Estatic Fear на их первом альбоме, а еще некоторые моменты мне напомнили Agalloch, правда, только в весьма упрощенной форме, это как если бы из музыки Agalloch убрать всю прогрессивность, сложность композиций и смену настроений, а оставить лишь печальные моменты. Отдельно хочется сказать о вокале, а точнее о вокалах, потому как на альбоме их присутствует несколько, как экстрим и чистый голос участников группы, так и несколько приглашенных чистоголосых вокалеров, которые как нельзя лучше дополняют мрачную атмосферу альбома.
Еще хотелось бы отметить, что мастеринг альбома производился в английской студии Priory Recording Studios под руководством небезызвестного Грэга Чендлера (гитарист и вокалист Esoteric), на чьей кухне мастерились помимо своих собственных еще и некоторые альбомы таких команд как (EchO), Mourning Beloveth, Fen, Who Dies In Siberian Slush, Nokturnal Mortum и многих других, так что сами понимаете, уровень реализации материала очень высок. Да что там говорить, просто послушайте и все станет ясно.
http://metalheads.by/en/review/darkflight-the-hereafter.html
Darkflight an act made up as a duo that would be unlike many other two piece acts in and around the music scene. For this duo act would take on the metal scene by the ankles, bringing the doom metal genre with then, as it was dragged willingly by said ankles, into the welcoming arms of an album titled "The Hereafter". This fourth full-length album, is indeed mixed with the doom metal appeal, with other elements thrown in for good measurements, like black metal and folk metal as well. While these work well in the favor of Darkflight, the entire album is rather quite mellow, yet has it's melodies of development lingering here and there. For example with the vocal chords placed throughout, you are tossed these patterned screams, that are intertwined with clean style vocals, combining the singing to be complex yet fierce as well. While the instrumental works are done very thoroughly, being brief yet intensifying, with each track's progression. In other words, "The Hereafter" album, has a lot going for it, for one, being memorable yet keeping it's angst at a minimum, but still laid back worthy of many good listens, that are emotional yet bleak.
http://www.nataliezworld.com/2018/01/darkflight-hereafter.html
'The Hereafter' is het vierde volledige album van de Hongaarse act Darkflight. Omdat men in het verleden veel positieve recensies heeft ontvangen, had ik redelijk hoge verwachtingen van deze doom metallers. Darkflight speelt melodische doom met hints van andere genres zoals black en folk metal. Scherende melodieën, langzaam ontwikkelende nummers en getormenteerd geschreeuw, afgewisseld met cleane Vikingzang, vormen de basisingrediënten van hun muziek. Synths worden ook gebruikt. Esoteric, Urna en Void Of Silence zijn de meest voor de hand liggende invloeden, maar Darkflight vermijdt door hun relatieve ruimdenkendheid in termen van genres slechts een optelsom van hun invloeden te worden. Ze creëren gemakkelijk een sombere en droevige sfeer en de melodieën zijn schrijnend en emotioneel. 'The Hereafter' biedt veel luisterplezier voor doom metalliefhebber, zonder daadwerkelijk het wiel opnieuw uit te vinden.
http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/nl/reviews/view/id/35881
Блэк думовые болгары соорудили уже четвертый полноформат, время — было. Ибо музицируют с 2000-го года. Собственно говоря, это мощный дуэт гитаро-вокалистов, которые еще кое-что поделывают в группе, для создания атмосферы мрака и отчаяния. Посмотрел в буклете, там есть еще колонка приглашенных камрадов, но те более по вокалу... так что за инструментал отвечает наша двойка. И как отвечает...
С хрустящих ломких гитар начинает Darkflight, почти сразу же включая инфернальный экстремальный вокал, который поражает своими обертонами и незаменимой патетикой. Тут незаметно подкрались крылатые виолончели, в низком регистре поелику это возможно - вероятно пресет такой на клавишах.
И опять новый козырь - чистый напряжный вокал, похожий на баритон. И чувствую, будто про весь альбом рассказал, а на самом деле еще впереди 50 минут музыки. Это я к тому, что даже в таком консервативном и минорном стиле как дум блэк можно с самого начала ходить с главных карт, не боясь, что истощатся идеи.
Ко всему прочему добавлю что в той же песне номер 1 — Crushed, фон идеально инкрустирован длинными риффами, составленный из пазлов то ли гитарного то ли клавишного звука. Протяженные и ненормированные, они создают прекрасное впечатление детализированного удушающего приема почти на 10 минут. Длина не удивляет, это так положено, восхищает еще раз сумеречный экстремальный вокал, он настолько протяженный в каждом вопле что просто недоумеваешь, как это можно тянуть.
Чувствую, таких сюрпрайзов будет немало. Болгары прекрасно понимали, что с проходными делами на международной арене делать нечего...
Вот трак Expiring Soul начинается с явно клавишных точек, расставленных как пометки на мишени, и продолжается ритм-секционной работой, такой же тягучей и чернейшей, только барабаны сейчас прописаны так, что большой буквально выбивается из колонок,.. дайте ему дыхнуть, прокачайте динамики. Моща так и прет с аудио сигнала. Здесь например, риффовый ход хищно впивается в меломана, и запускает в него свои клыки. К тому же попозже неведомо как превращается в волнительный солирующий проход. Светлого направления. Между прочим. Может себе позволить.
Трагедия и полный упадок просто капают с начала Giving Up. Дабы слушатель убедился в том вполне, тут работает чистый вокал (тенор, кажется, - повыше прежнего) в классическом power-ном ключе, но через время инициативу перехватывает экстремальный вокал, который и продолжает не менее драматично чем классический вокал. Ну а мне кажется - и более трагедийно, как истинный зверь, оскаленный, вставший на дыбы, приговоренный...
Тут знаете на 11 минутах можно разгуляться, ибо к половине трака композер открывает клапаны, на которых висит табличка «эпичность». И тема сменилась, вскрылись льды акустики, и приглашенный радиоактер(?) рассказал нечто далеко не позитивное. И все сделано максимально органично, что даже слезу выбивает из истинного любителя атмосферик дума. Эпик дум блэк на славу исполнен здесь, роскошный и одновременно насыщенный сочным саундом клавишей, струнных, ритм-секции.
Вот тут-то я, конечно, опять обратился к буклету и увидел, что мастеринг диска произведен в Бирмингеме Грегом Чандлером в Priory Recording studios. Знакомое имя. Тут уж я нашел сайт студии и отметил среди ее клиентов Esoteric, Pantheist, Officium Triste, Fleurety, Ophis, shEver и, кстати, наших Comatose Vigil, и просто десятки других металлических команд. Так что наслаждайтесь, господа. Это знаковый компакт, и немалая удача Symbol Of Domination. Те как раз соображали этот замечательный продукт на троих с американскими конторами Metallic Media и Black Plague Records.
Мощный диск.
https://vk.com/wall216331265_2965
Darkflight first took form in 2000 with a mission to create harsh, doomy sounds. Over the course of various DIY releases combining heavy as hell riffery with fantasy themed lyrics, they carved themselves a space in the world of Eastern European extreme metal. By the time of 2008’s ‘Perfectly Calm’, their atmospheres had grown to include elements of medieval folk metal, but generally speaking, their main concerns leant very much towards the heavy.
Fast forward to 2017’s ‘The Hereafter’ and Darkflight is just the product of two men: multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Ivo Iliev and bassist/clean vocalist Milen Todorov. The apparent lack of full band has had no impact on either Darkflight’s sense of vision or their abilities to absolutely crush with a riff, although Milen’s contributions of clean and gothy vocals certainly go a long way towards making this album as enjoyable as it is.
With a funereal pace, ‘Crushed’ sets out on a musical journey that’s heavy and ploddy, but ultimately very melodic for the chosen style. A cold lead guitar lays down a distinctive and very gothy riff, while underneath, heavier rhythm guitars add plenty of chug and sludge. At first, this appears to be a fairly straight doom and black metal hybrid, especially once Ivo Iliev compliments his hard guitar sounds with an abrasive husk of a voice. It’s worth persevering, though, as once those voices subside, bassist Milen steps to the mic and the influences from the earliest My Dying Bride are more than evident. The combination of dark sounds and forcible croon mightn’t be anything new in the world of doom, but there’s a feeling that Darkflight have been somewhat overlooked with regard to their previous contributions. Within this epic nine minute opener, the audience are not broken in gently, especially as the two men blend doom with huge slabs of black metal vocal; by the three and a half minute mark, everything is in full flow, like a howl of rage set against haunting guitar lines. The instrumental sections are terrific, with a simple riff multi-tracked and then set off on an almost cinematic path, while slabs of dark keyboard work fill gaps and make everything sound denser still. Such is the attention to detail – even taking the slow and heavy vibes firmly into account – that nothing within this long number ever feels dragged out.
‘Expiring Soul’ at first teases with lightness, as blankets of keyboards approximate the sounds of Within Temptation and their ilk. Soon enough, a pounding riff destroys the melody, in turn creating a new one of its own. As before, the way Darkflight place very 80s twin leads over the harshest funeral doom sounds is impressive. In many ways, it’s a pity these sounds have to be masked by a black metal voice, but looking towards the positive, the way Iliev howls, you’d think he’d been genuinely wronged and his world had fallen apart. The inevitable instrumental sections are really where it’s at, though: the use of a circular riff that sounds like an old Iron Maiden piece slowed down for a Paradise Lost devotee brings much to the table; Darkflight obviously understand that, quite often, doing something very well is actually more effective than striving to push boundaries. Harsh vocals aside, much like the opener, there’s a great deal for fans of traditional and doom metal sounds to enjoy.
The bleak ‘Giving Up’ opens with one of the album’s most enduring melodies, laying out a hybrid of Sabbath, Cathedral and the more epic qualities of The Howling Void. The way the multi-tracked guitars are used to weave an almost folk metal melody catches the ear instantly. Anyone fearing that this melodic shift will be too fleeting can rest easy, since this presents another opportunity for Todorov’s clean vocal to take the helm. Applying a similar melody to the chosen riff, there’s more than a little something in his voice that’s inspired by the wobblier aspects of Geoff Tate, even if the music is more late Cathedral than Queensryche. For the chorus, Iliev’s black husk of a voice returns but the huge presence of soaring guitar sounds always keeps one ear on something more melodic. Eventually introducing a chugging downstroke to the riff, the band teases with something heavier still, but nothing ever topples the soaring lead from the heights it’s reached over the past few minutes. Already the album’s absolute highlight, this number then takes a sharp turn into depressive string sounds and more pagan folk influences – complete with spoken eulogy – before the lead guitars return for a second round of slowly cranked 80s melodicism while Iliev wrenches his gust out, sounding like a man who has lost everything and everyone he’s ever loved. Obviously, you’ll never decipher his pain without a lyric sheet, but that’s hardly the point. Looking at this ten minute workout as a whole, it’s got almost everything. If you think you might like Darkflight but are unsure where to start listening, this is perfect.
The album’s second half doesn’t quite reach expectations at first, since ‘The Outpost’ merely recycles the heaviest parts of what’s gone before, with less impressive results. This doesn’t make it a bad track in isolation – it’s got power, riffs and a solid presence all round – but it has the misfortune of being sandwiched between two of ‘The Hereafter’s most impressive offerings. ‘Giving Up’ was always an impossible act to follow and, if anything, the quiet and mildly disturbing ‘Sans Ame’ sounds like a post-script to that track, presenting synthesised strings in mournful mode and a whispered voice, again, sounding as if the protagonist is sat at a graveside recounting memories and days with a loved one he’ll never see again. In some ways, the first half of this track acts as an extended interlude – and time to emotionally regroup – before the second movement ushers in slow and heavy doom riffs. Stretching to an impressive thirteen minutes, this never rushes: the drums lay down a funeral pace; the guitars revert to their much-loved haunting and soaring sounds and eventually black husks take over the main vocal stance. In funeral doom terms, this is thoughtful and yet so, so devastating – in many ways it’s the pinnacle of everything Darkflight have worked towards over the previous seventeen years.
That would have been the perfect closer, but ‘Threshold of Death’ wisely leaves the listener with memories of something more tuneful. Dispensing with all heaviness at first, the music takes on the guise of a nineties indie-goth act, with touches of shoegaze mopiness. By the time the heavy guitars make a late entrance, the original root of the music is never lost; most the vocals remain wonderfully soft and steeped in sadness, while the guitars eventually reach a crescendo that Paradise Lost would kill for. A few black metal vocals set everything off kilter, but a final huge vocal hook comes from prog metal heaven – touches of Queensryche meeting with Anathema suggest that if Darkflight eventually decided to cast aside their funeral blackdoom for a cerebral mix of doom and progressive metal, they could take on the world. It’s certainly another stand out track.
At almost an hour long, there’s a lot of music squeezed into a dense six track release and, sure, the bulk of the sounds tread a very familiar path with not too much variety, but when done this well, it’s hard to argue with the result. There might not be much here to entice the more curious listener, but for those who love doom metal, black metal and the more niche sounds of extreme blackened doom, ‘The Hereafter’ might eventually become a cult classic.
http://www.realgonerocks.com/2017/11/darkflight-the-hereafter/
"Darkflight" je black/doom metal duo iz Bugarske i aktivni su od 2000. godine. Album "The Hereafter" krase duge i spore numere koje zbog svog tempa muzici dodaju "funeral" odrednicu. Sablasni harsh vokali u kombinaciji sa razvučenim rifovima i avetinjskim klavijaturama rade odličan posao i stvaraju atmosferu punu nelagode. Sporadični čisti vokali koji imaju efekat pojanja pojačavaju ionako mračnu atmosferu. Produkcija je mogla biti bolja, ispeglanija i utegnutija. Time bi do izražaja došao svaki instrument i svaki ton. No, fanovi depresivnih melodija ovde mogu pronaći i više nego dovoljno materijala.
https://ciklonizacija.blogspot.ru/2017/10/kombo29.html
На сон грядущий предлагаю подумать о смерти – это всегда полезно, пока жив. Мы продолжаем делиться с вами открытиями из архива Satanath Records. Сегодня речь пойдет об альбоме саб-лейбла Сатаны Symbol Of Domination болгарской группы (из Варны) Darkflight «The Hereafter». Группа уже больше 17 лет играет тягучий атмосферный блэк-дум и на данный момент состоит всего из двух человек - Ivo Iliev, отвечающего за вокал, гитару и клавиши, и басиста-перкуссиониста Dean Todorov. Чтобы в полной мере реализовать то, что задумали, музыканты пригласили спеть на альбоме несколько своих друзей, так что вокального единообразия вы здесь не встретите, и это хорошо. Вот, правда, не всегда здесь чистый вокал имеет подходящую инструментальную огранку, но в масштабах альбома этот мелкий косячок теряется. «The Hereafter» - четвертый альбом в дискографии группы и, наверное, лучший. Никогда ничего не слышал о болгарской экстремальной сцене (не считая киркорова), но, похоже, Darkflight – одни из крутейших черных сынов своей родины.
Дуэт Darkflight смотрит на нас как на медленно оплывающую в затянувшемся предсмертном пароксизме уже едва мерцающую свечу, не знавшую в жизни других целей, кроме как гореть и светить, и теперь недоуменно пытающуюся понять, зачем Боги вылепили ее из воска, раз конец ее столь жалок
Одна из главных особенностей блэк-дума, а значит и данного альбома, поскольку жанру он противоречит не сильно, - это немыслимая бездна погружения в музыку. Этот эффект настолько сильный, что почти сразу теряешь связь с миром, и ощущения походят на сильный наркотический трип. «The Hereafter» немного напомнил работы великих бирмингемцев Esoteric (хотя они и больше по похоронам). Сначала я так подумал, а потом с удивлением узнал, что альбом мастерился на студии Грэга Чендлера, и тогда все стало на свои места. Тут нет фьюнерала в привычном виде, но он будто витает в мельчайших послевкусиях звуков, и, кажется, что вот-вот гитарист сорвется с привычных протяжных тремоло в бесконечное эмбиентное соло. Границы размыты, как старая могила после ливня. От безумия одиночного земляного карцера в редкие моменты спасают чистые вокалы и замедления адского думового колеса, звучащие как приговор для уже не просто смирившегося узника, но в полную силу алчущего смерти и не представляющего, как он будет жить, если его оправдают. Darkflight рассказывают нам о том, как прекрасны околосмертные переживания, и мы их действительно прочувствываем, примеряем на себя, когда слушаем «The Hereafter». И перед магией момента становится не так страшно от того, что ждет нас в потустороннем мире (именно так, может быть, стоит перевести название альбома). Безмятежность зрителя конца света – вот какое это чувство. И Darkflight своей музыкой твердят нам, что конец чего бы то ни было – это самое прекрасное, что может быть, ведь уже через мгновение все превратится в прах. Думаю, каждому из живущих стоит когда-то испытать на себе это чувство, и альбом «The Hereafter» дает возможность это сделать без особых жертв. Это еще не ваши похороны, но жить вам осталось совсем чуть-чуть... Наслаждайтесь.
https://vk.com/wall-50845529_6113
2018 has kicked in with full force, however, I’m personally not entirely ready to turn my back on last year. I’m close but not yet! There are still some albums that I have in store, which are so damn good that I cannot resist the urge and share them with you, my dearest folks out there. In today’s CD recommendation, I have prepared for you 2 full-lengths that both come from the expansive roster of Satanath Records / Symbol of Domination Productions. Meet Darkflight and Pure – two distinctively different bands whose latest albums have some common ground; conceptually and musically (to a certain degree). Now, let’s dive into the good stuff, shall we?
Every time I get to write about a band, I feel very flattered and honoured. No exceptions! This time, however, I might also add being proud because Darkflight originates from my country Bulgaria. You see, we don’t have as much extreme metal activity as, say, Germany, France or even Greece; one of our neighbouring countries. Despite that we have a limited palette of choices, bands like Darkflight compensate with an immense quality that deserves much praise, especially speaking of their latest record “The Hereafter“.
Throughout their somewhat lengthy career of approximately 17 years, the duo has amassed a relatively rich discography, including a bunch of demos, full-lengths as well as an EP. What they have in common is the fact that they are grounded in the blackened doom universe, with a twist towards highly emotional and dark themes. “The Hereafter” brings more of that melancholy-infused material with a plethora of infectious moments that will keep you replaying the CD over and over again. Let me give you a good reason why.
Darkflight have mastered song writing that excels with spellbinding melodies that instantly translate melancholic and dark vibes into a must-have outlet to escape the heavy burdens of reality. This band has got that exceptional talent to fuse some of the darkest and most oppressing emotions into an awe-inspiring array of compositions that draw the listener further away into an obscure serenity. The backbone being a beautiful array of catchy melodious interludes, doesn’t just excite but also throw the listener into a deep thoughtful process of reckoning life and its meaning, if you will. A quality that I appreciate much more than how relevant or modern the music is. “The Hereafter” provokes one’s senses and thus, feels more than a jam session, especially if you grab the booklet and take the lyrics to heart. That’s the moment you will live through the entire track list and grasp the beauty of each piece.
“The Hereafter” embodies much darkness and depression but not in a self-destructive manner. It is so damn ravishing and bursting with liveliness contrary to the themes portrayed in each of the 6 tracks. No matter the slow-paced tempo that reeks of death and misery or the harsh vocals; an embodiment of a fading soul speaking words of apathy, there is an odd beauty and admiration that contrasts. Of the chilling, impending demise that always awaits before gates of the Great Beyond.
Technically speaking, the production is more than satisfying and rewarding. Overall, I’m very pleasantly surprised of the album, though I wouldn’t dare say that it is flawless. There is one particular element that could have been mastered better in every possible manner. Generally, I have no remarks against clean singing in extreme metal but if present, I expect to be at least on a par with the music for the sake of balance.
However, that’s not the case, which is why I consider it as a small but still evident drawback that puts off the wild fires and breaks the bond with the rest components. There is a need for power in those clean singing passages so that they could have matched up with the imposing instrumentals and carry through the vibe to the full extend. Yet they almost never have had such and the end result is more like “it’s nice but could have been way better executed”. Apart from that, it appears that in the mixing & mastering stage, the clean vocals have been placed on a secondary level for they go dull, being obstructed by the rest elements building up the tracks.
The idea of having clean singing is great and always welcome to bring some subtlety but to me, that’s the stage that needs to be reworked for a greater impact in this one. Nevertheless, that’s just a small issue against a vast amount of stunning moments that will strike you repeatedly til you fall madly in love with the album. Essentially, “The Hereafter” is more of the band’s trademark to deliver sorrow on an epic scale granting even the most pretentious ear a good enough reason to stay.
http://supportblackmetal.com/latest-cds-darkflight-pure-2017-favourites/
Bulgarian band Darkflight don't disappoint with their latest lavishly atmospheric polished Black/Doom venture.
It's hard to say what I was initially anticipating with this, because I didn't know of the band prior to this release so all I deduced was that this was a Black/Doom release. If I were to stereotype such, I'd imagine the production would be a fairly low budget, the music would be rather raw, and that there'd be a number of up-tempo Black Metal segments. I think it's fair to say that this release blows such stereotypes out of the water, particularly as this is a decidedly polished production. That surprised me until I saw that Greg Chandler of Esoteric mastered the album - then it made sense!
Still, irrespective of who masters the music, it takes a lot of skill and creativity to make a release that doesn't sound like much I've heard before in the Black/Doom world before, which is precisely what Darkflight have achieved on this release. I wouldn't normally think that "polished" and "Black/Doom" make particularly good bedfellows but the Bulgarians manage it quite expertly here. The harsh vocals are strong and mesh well with the soaring guitar solos and music in general. Even in the Doomier sections of the release, the atmosphere remains extremely powerful and almost thought-provoking in a way. I certainly wouldn't say it was a dark atmosphere, per se, but more dreamy, if that makes sense. I fervently hope that doesn't put any Black/Doom fans off because it's very enjoyable and a long way from being romantic or soft in any capacity - it's just not the kind of atmosphere I've grown accustomed to hearing on a Black/Doom release so it's certainly unique in that sense.
During some of the slower passages of music, Darkflight introduce their weakest element on this release - the clean vocals. I honestly don't know if it's Milen Todorov or guest vocalist Steven Cannon but sometimes (especially early in the release) the clean vocals are not strong enough to embellish the music, to put it bluntly. In principle, I agree with the clean vocals - I think the music could be complemented by them, especially the acoustic parts, and Darkflight did it well sometimes. I just don't think it's something that Darkflight have done consistently well with, which is a shame because I struggle to name another aspect of this release that I dislike.
It seems like Darkflight have a number of different personnel with their fingers in their 'The Hereafter' pie on this album, one of which is Arsonist of Ars Moriendi. Guest appearances are not uncommon so that shouldn't surprise anybody. Arsonist appears to be French, which most likely explains why the fifth track is predominantly in French. What confuses me about this is that I don't understand the significance of 'Sans âme' being in French. I speak French well enough for natives to politely smile back at me and then ask me what it is I want in English so perhaps there's some greater understanding here that is beyond my comprehension but I don't see anything revealed in the subtlety of the French lyrics that adds anything substantial to this release. Don't get me wrong - it's a good track but it's got a different vibe to the rest of the album. Did Darkflight simply reserve a spot on the album for Arsonist to contribute his own song? If I had to guess, I'd say that the Bulgarians heard what Arsonist wanted to do and tried to add some synths to make it work on this release but I am not so sure that it does. I don't dislike Arsonist's track, and I like Darkflight's music, but I don't really feel that the two have a place on the same release. The French vocals lend the music a darker feel that doesn't seem to mesh too well with the atmospheric use of the synths, nor the album as a whole.
The overwhelming impression I get from Darkflight is that they wanted to make an atmospheric and fantasy-esque release with 'The Hereafter' and I believe that they've succeeded in doing so. I have a couple of cribs about the release but overall the listening experience was extremely positive. I liked the somewhat fresh approach of Darkflight on this album. I like the excellent production. Most of all, I liked the powerful and crushing atmosphere that is present throughout this composition. I like how the tracks are all of a good length and at no stage do they feel rushed or forced. There are plenty of good elements here, basically.
I can't realistically compare 'The Hereafter' to another Black/Doom album at this moment in time so all I advise you to do is try it if you're a fan of the sub-genre in general because this album has got a bit of something for everybody. Band-wise, the best comparison I can make is to Funeral Doom juggernauts Pantheist on 'O Solitude' because of the atmosphere and production.
To summarise, it's safe to say I am a fan of this album.
http://www.doom-metal.com/reviews.php?album=3239
This here is the Bulgarian two-man Doom Metal outfit Darkflight's fourth and latest album, titled The Hereafter. The main emphasis is strongly placed on Doom Metal, which is at the pace of a dying man's heartbeat level of slow. And as expected, operating in the utterly heavier side of Doom, they sometimes even cross the border into Funeral Doom. The weeping and beautiful cavalcade of sorrowful melodies is everywhere on this release, whereas Ivo Iliev's angst-ridden Black Metal screams tend to create a nice contrast to everything melancholic and beautiful. With the addition of Milen Todorov's clean vocals, which add a great dose of emotion into the songs, The Hereafter turns out to be a well-crafted and thought-out release.
Get this if slow and atmospheric Doom Metal with a twist of Black Metal is your cup of coffee.
https://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php?revid=10510
Prima volta sulle nostre pagine virtuali per i bulgari Darkflight, nonostante vantino — tra demo, compilation e ben tre album — un curriculum musicale piuttosto ricco. "The Hereafter", come anche i suoi predecessori, sguazza in quel meraviglioso mare di disperazione che è il doom metal nella sua forma più gothic, primordiale ed essenziale (My Dying Bride, anyone?): ritmi lenti, voci colme di sofferenza, estrema cura riversata nelle melodie e negli effetti orchestrali.
Nei sei brani totali che compongono "The Hereafter" non c'è spazio per sorprese di alcun tipo, quindi non aspettatevi improvvise accelerazioni, assoli, virtuosismi o cose del genere. I testi, per la maggior parte in inglese con qua e là frammenti in bulgaro ("The Outpost") e francese ("Sans Âme") ci parlano — come avrete probabilmente già indovinato — di sofferenza, illusioni, ricerca della pace mentale e discesa nel vuoto; un vuoto in cui — chissà — magari è anche possibile trovare un attimo di tregua. Ciò che abbiamo tra le mani è un lavoro di cui si deve godere con la dovuta calma, senza fretta, adeguando il nostro ritmo a quello composto e suonato da Ivo Iliev, mente creatrice del gruppo che si occupa anche della maggior parte degli strumenti, e Milen Todorov, basso e voce pulita. Trovo che i due siano riusciti a dare il meglio di se stessi sul finale, in "Sans Âme" e "Threshold Of Death" nello specifico: un maestoso e stilisticamente completissimo pezzo di tredici minuti, il primo; una strizzata d'occhio ai più recenti Anathema e a melodie meno inquiete, che addirittura riescono a placare e rilassare la mente, il secondo. Davvero due brani conclusivi che non potranno non rimanervi impressi.
Il disco vanta diverse collaborazioni e il nome che maggiormente mi è saltato all'occhio leggendo il libretto è quello di Greg Chandler degli Esoteric, che qui si è occupato del mastering.
"The Hereafter" non può essere ascoltato solo per ammazzare il tempo e decisamente lo sconsiglio a coloro in cerca di violenza e botte da orbi. Se il vostro stato mentale è invece più malinconico e pronto ad assorbire ogni nota e ogni accordo, allora vedete di procurarvi questo disco il prima possibile.
http://www.aristocraziawebzine.com/recensioni/9301-darkflight-the-hereafter
Con casi 20 años de formados, los búlgaros Darkflight arriban a su cuarto larga duración, este “The hereafter” editado el año pasado.
la propuesta es sencilla: black / doom lento, agresivo y con una dosis de melodía que le da una buena vuelta de tuerca.
Darkflight es el producto de dos hombres: el multiinstrumentista / vocalista Ivo Iliev y el bajista / vocalista Milen Todorov, en esta casi constante de las bandas blackers de no contar con una formación “clásica” de cuatro o cinco músicos. Esto no ha tenido impacto en el producto final de Darkflight, créanme.
Ritmos fúnebres, viajes musicales pesados y arrastrados, sonidos oscuros que recuerdan a los primeros My Dying Bride, inquietantes líneas de la guitarra y secciones instrumentales que hacen que todo suene aún más denso.
Seis pistas, casi una hora de duración, un disco perfecto para aquellos amantes del doom mas depresivo y melancólico.
http://rockarollazine.blogspot.com/2018/06/darkflight-hereafter-2017-black-plague.html
Surgido na terceira maior cidade da Bulgária, Varna, a banda Darkflight carrega consigo uma mescla interessante de Blackened Doom Metal com melodias atmosféricas.
Desde 2000 eles mostram certa maturidade em suas canções e com "The Hereafter" não é diferente.
Lançado em 2017, conseguiram mostrar canções interessantes e cheias de elementos que você facilmente reconhece se for um assíduo ouvinte de Metal.
Sua produção é boa e contribui para os mais variados climas encontrados aqui, bem como entrega com certa facilidade a técnica adquirida pelos envolvidos.
Ouça sem medo, mas cuidado ao aumentar o volume.
https://rockvibrationsofficial.blogspot.com/2020/08/darkflight-hereafter-review.html
When I look at info sheet about this release, it reveals facts about process of recording the album which started off in Bulgaria but mastering was done in a cradle of world`s best city of heavy metal – Birmingham/UK.
The core of the band is two people from Varna/Bulgaria but in creative music process there were several individuals involved. For example clean vocals for 3 songs are sung by Steve Cannon, spoken words in Bulgarian are done in a fourth track by D (Eleven Drops To Sink Into). Arsonist (Ars Moriendi) took responsibility for French vocals in track five and Yovan Georgiev`s child`s voice is not that common thing in metal record as it is done in song 6th. Quite an album when you think about all of it and my only awareness was that it is not always been a formula for other bands to work things out best for the album when so many persons are part of it and you must go through so many events to finally have the album wrapped up. In this case however, The Hereafter is a winner musically but the sound is not anything bigger than just underground production that showcase the band`s solid music credentials.
There are 6 songs in total and almost 60 minutes of metal. If I had to do sort of deconstruction of their music, the result would be more-less predictable. The one guitar is tuned to build-up only the atmosphere and heaviness of the record while it is played very slow. The other guitar plays some gothic, melancholic riffs and rhythms which remind me early Paradise Lost but Darkflight`s music is more mournful and sorrow like funeralists from UK`s Esoteric, on the other hand. Sometimes it might feel that you have drowned yourself in sadness of their music but it`s rather pretty cool feeling they give you in return. Vocals sound quite good with this growl and a bit scream manner which is quite convincing when every word is longing for few seconds to express some profound desperation in voices of the vocalists. Clean vocals are insubstantial and lack of passion in first part of the album but songs five and six are fortunately much better done in this matter. When I think where this record is more emotional when come to reacting on music in general them my answer is definitely - in music, not so much in vocals.
If you like slow and melancholic doom metal and bit of ambient, ghostly synths and dismal black metal, they have it for you. There also is a little light to be found in music but do not expect they will sweet your night before you go to bed.