. .  
.
.
.         . .
.
... Home | Reviews
SEARCH 
.
.   .
.
Home
Reviews
Latest Reviews

Prong's X - No Absolutes

Rabid Flesh Eaters - Reign of Terror

Coffins/Isla Split

Haken - Affinity

Be'lakor - Vessels

Valdur - Pathetic Scum

Messa - Belfry

Die Choking - III

Sailing to Nowhere - To The Unknown

Black Anvil Interview

Six Feet Under - Graveyard IV The Number of the Priest

Destroyer 666 - Wildfire

Onslaught - Live at the Slaughterhouse

Rotten Sound - Abuse To Suffer

Venomous Concept - Kick Me Silly: VC III

The Great Discord - Duende

Arcana 13 - Danza Macabra

Die Choking - II

Obsidian Kingdom - A Year With No Summer

Thy Catafalque - Sgurr

Denner Shermann - Masters of Evil

Bedemon - Child of Darkness Review

by Matt Hensch

.
"Child of Darkness," even if the music it contained were not incredible, holds prominence for its historical significance. These are the demo tapes of Bedemon, a squad formed in the 1970s in the pits of Arlington, Virginia. Bedemon most notably featured Bobby Liebling and a select few others who would have some role in Pentagram, be it ephemeral or enduring. The beauty of Bedemon and "Child of Darkness" is something more than the solid retro doom which lives and breathes in these songs. While these factors are pivotal, "Child of Darkness" has an atmosphere and sound quality that are today often imitated, but not without sacrificing a massive chunk of authenticity. Hearing these tapes is almost dreamlike.

The influence of the classic groups who seeded this style are almost palpable, especially Black Sabbath, whose doom metal roots are tangled in the atmosphere. Bedemon operates under an oppressive and murky umbrella, a stranger's hard and unforeseen punch in the gut. These songs stretch a wide gamut, but seldom deviate from the negative and shadowy Bedemon aura prowling the riffs and haunting the lyrics. You can nearly touch the doomy influence of Black Sabbath dripping through the dense, crawling rhythms and Bobby Liebling's vocals. Different dynamics of Bedemon's style differentiate the doom metal template, showing influences tipping the scales in favor of 70s rock. There is a definite presence of accessibility lingering in the haze, as some tracks ("Time Bomb," "Into the Grave") shed the murk for a more manageable frame of mind.

The band's chemistry exploring the compilation's multiple states is a marvel, really, as the rhythm section is profound between Liebling's wailing and the thick riffs rolling out of the abyss. Bass lines and drum fills bridging the gap with groove are everywhere, and augment the sheer might of Bedemon's efforts. The band sounds heavier than an anvil on your toes lurching through the driving bulldozer of doom that is "Drive Me to the Grave" and the rhythmic power of "Touch the Sky," though "Into the Grave" sticks out as one of the compilation's finest tracks as well. Bobby's lyrical themes explore death, anti-religion, horror, tough life-the goods of doom. These dark words are brilliant in the surrounding, serving as the hot fudge on the doom sundae.

But if I'm going to single out the best part of these tapes, it has to be the sound quality. "Child of Darkness" under another lens might be tagged sounding utterly abysmal, with wonky balances and hazy instruments smearing against an uncooked quality. Given how Bedemon operates, the recording equipment of demo tapes in the 1970s (which couldn't have been much), and the general murkiness of doom found in every inch of "Child of Darkness," it makes sense. Total sense. Bedemon's tale beyond the demos that compile "Child of Darkness" has little worth mentioning. However, the fifteen songs lurking in the atonal chamber that is "Child of Darkness" are lethal enough to startle, and substantial enough to be revered.

Bedemon - Child of Darkness

Rating:9.0

tell a friend about this review

.


...end



Thrash Worthy Link



.
.
antiMUSIC - iconoFAN - Rocknworld - Day in Rock - Rock Search - thrashPIT - iconoSTORE
.
Thrashpit is presented by Rocknworld.com - Part of the antiMusic Network

Tell a Friend about this page - Contact Us - Privacy - Link to us

Copyright© 1998 - 2007 Iconoclast Entertainment Group
All rights reserved.
No Part of this site may be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form.
Please click here for legal restrictions and terms of use applicable to this site.
Use of this site signifies your agreement to the terms of use. Updated 12-19-99