Darkside Of Innocence – Xenogenesis

Releasedate: 10-06-2012; Label: Infektion Records
By: Martine Goffard

In 2009, Darkside of Innocence had made a very promising first album with Infernum Liberum Est. I could remember in their music some touch of the early Theatre of Tragedy and that felt so good ! Unfortunately, the band members took different ways and Pedro Remiz was left quite alone to make Xenogenesis. It’s an understatement to say that this album is a deception. Not so much because he is barely audible, but because, if made with the same team, it could have been fantastic.

There are a few things of quality, like the intro Lux. It would suit perfectly for a horror movie in a chilly Victorian atmosphere or something more steampunk. Airian is an enjoyable doom song, slow with grunts. The effect of the “metallic rain” is very original and the recurrent ghostly female choir gives a tragic touch. For now, it’s quite ok if you try to forget the poor sound of the drums. Things start to get worse with Dulcifer Tragoedia. You can’t guess that after this gloomy, gothic intro will appear a rap deck mix that will make you wish to scratch your table. Then, when you think the song is already spoiled, you hear that they have glued a badly played, indescribable tune in the middle and that, to crown it all, they will end it with some slam and more deck mix. Nox Omega has a harrowing intro that creates an aquatic and foggy atmosphere. The tune is catchy, depressive, and pompous. The hellish screams should have been a lot darker; we are very far from the quality of an Elend song. Not much to say about Eros, it has the same ingredients as the rest but it’s halting like a Tyr song and the comparison stops here. It’s just atrocious. The abyssal Thanatos is destroyed by the lack of transition with Ego, creating then a never-ending and unbearable song. D’eus is a mix between a fog horn and an old phonograph. On top of it all, the last note cuts abruptly. This album doesn’t even have an end.
There are lots of ideas. It’s very original and the modern-apocalyptic style has much charm. Now, they just can’t play. Music can be very dark, there can be screams, it can be mixed with electro or whatever new ideas but not that cacophonic. Things you hit many times don’t make a song. A song is the harmony of notes. Some passages are really painful for the ears. Pedro Remiz should think of finding new band members because he obviously has talent to compose tunes. This album is never boring; it’s just musically very, very poor. When a dish is not ready, you don’t serve it to the clients. Xenogenesis makes me feel cheated. Bring it back to hell!

Line up:
Pedro Remiz : lyrics, Guitar

Tracklist: 01. Lux 02. Airian 03. Dulcifer Tragoedia 04. Nox Omega 05. Eros 06. Thanatos 07. Ego 08. D’eus

Links:
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