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October 8, 2008 |
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01. Central Theory
02. My Black Letter
03. Ender
04. An Insane Diary Pt. II
05. The Silent Song
06. All For The Unspoken
07. Shotgun Symphony
08. Words Of Truth
09. Thornhearts
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Formed by guitarists Anders Öström, Heikki Raisio and drummer Henry Valkonen in 1999 (both later on replaced by Jaakko Lehtinen & Timo Palokankare), BLIND STARE have built a solid reputation within the local Finnish Metal scene by developing their own style through 5 self-produced demos, but they would have to wait until the release of 2003's "Once A True Story" EP to acquire the recognition they fully deserve. After several lineup changes, the band's first full offspring, "Symphony Of Delusion", is finally here on Arise Records.
By looking at the babe posing with the violin on the album cover, I was ready for another Gothic Metal band with a female singer in the same vein as AFTER FOREVER or EPICA. That's probably why I was caught off guard by BLIND STARE's super blasting melodic Death Metal sound. It is definitely interesting to see how artwork can sometimes give you the wrong idea.
My first impression would be to make easy comparisons with other Finnish formations such as MORS PRINCIPIUM EST, OMNIUM GATHERUM, KALMAH, and of course CHILDREN OF BODOM. BLIND STARE are efficiently using the old formula of super fast riffs with catchy melodies, making the sound of the Finnish bands so distinct in comparison with other Scandinavian formations. However it would be unfair to deny the originality of their sound. The super fast "Central Theory" couldn't have been a better opening for the set, then followed by the very technical "The Silent Song", giving us a chance to appreciate the skills of each musician, who obviously are very comfortable at switching back and forth from super fast to mid tempo. "The Silent Song" or "Words Of Truth" (my personal favorite) are absolutely spellbinding.
The mixing of clean vocals with traditional Death Metal growls often unsuccessfully experimented by many other bands seems to work perfectly for these guys. Killer riffs and omnipresent keyboards, everything on this album falls right into place. I can't imagine what it would have been like with a more solid production and even a philharmonic orchestra! Who knows? Maybe in the future, we will see that happen. These dudes really deserve it! With their debut full-length, BLIND STARE are not just another melodic Death Metal Band. These guys are raising the bar very high for all the other bands out there. Go get it!
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