Imhotep - ...the devil speaks... - Edge Of Sanity

Edge Of Sanity - "Crimson"

Black Mark Productions (1996)

Here it is: the greatest melodeath album of all time. One song, 40 minutes long, that reveals where In Flames, At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity, Soilwork, latter Opeth, Katatonia, etc., etc. got their style(s) from. Michael Åkerfeldt worked along the metalgod Dan Swanö (the credits say he contributed vocals and solos, but c'mon, it's Åkerfeldt, does he ever do anything half-assed?) to create this absolute masterpiece.

If there was ever such a thing as a perfect metal album, this is it. This is nothing less than quintessence of metal, the very marrow of metal bone. It has everything you would possibly want from a metal record: multiple addictive melodies, growls to raise the dead, beautiful acoustic and clean vocal passages, repetition of cool parts, outfuckingstanding out of this world guitarwork, heavyass riffing that occasionally sounds like nu-metal BEFORE it boomed and divine production.

Sure, anything before this record is awesome ("Purgatory Afterglow", "Unorthodox"), but this is where these guys peaked, and the subsequent "Infernal" was merely very good, and that's probably why before the next one (same year as "Infernal"!) great Danny "left the building" and the band called quits after "Cryptic". Swanö and EOS tried to resurrect the magic on "Crimson II" without Åkerfeldt but it didn't work so they broke up again, this time for good. These facts speak for the truth: once you're reached pinnacle of your career, you better euthanize the project or, eventually, be mired in mediocrity (cough, Metallica, cough, Soilwork).

As for this record, it should be a mandatory test to see if you're a metalhead or a emo-only loving poser. Get it now! NOW, motherfucker!

www.blackmark.net
www.myspace.com/edgeofsanity01

Rating: ∞ (infinity number)

Composed by Dethster4life

Roy Kristensen 30.07.2012 10:53

RE:Edge Of Sanity -

Lunar Strain 1994 Jester's Race 1996 Whoracle 1997 Dance of December Souls 1993 Brave Murder Day 1996 Discouraged Ones 1998 Orchid 1995 Morningrise 1996 My Arms, Your Hearse 1998 I am compelled by someone's very rude, militant comment on this review, feauturing a direct insult to my competence as a reviewer, to set things straight. I have made an honest mistake stating that At The Gates got their sound from "Crimson". Since At The Gates' last record "Slaughter of the Soul" was released in 1995 and "Crimson" a year later, it is a chronological fallacy. Case could be made for reverse, perhaps, but not what I stated. Therefore, even though the way it was pointed out to me was very rude and not worthy of consideration, nevertheless, I stand corrected, and I thank hereby the asshole who called me on it. Thank you, asshole. Now, I have also made similar suggestions about other bands: Katatonia, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity and Opeth, and I stand by every single one, with the explanation for it below. In Flames records "Jester's Race" in 1996. A year later , "Whoracle" comes out with a change of sound which I already hear on "Crimson". In 1996, Katatonia records "Brave Murder Day" with Akerfeld on vocals. Katatonia changes their sound drastically 2 years later, not just the extinction of death vocals, "Discouraged Ones" feautures clean vocals and music combined in a way I hear on "Crimson". Opeth releases "Morningrise" in 1996, and changes their style on the subsequent "My Arms, Your Hearse" 2 years later to sound like, you guessed it, what I hear on "Crimson", all the easier because it has the same vocalist. Finally, and this is the biggest influence here, Dark Tranquillity, after the 1995 "Gallery", changes their sound on subsequent "MindsI" which basically sounds like "Crimson" minus Akerfeld. In 1999 and especially 2000, "Projector" and "Haven" feature ideas already heard on "Crimson", and "Haven" sounds so much like "Crimson" especially growling, with Stanne NEVER AGAIN sounding like that on any subsequent album, the first time I heard "Crimson" I thought I put "Haven" in by accident. I think, since all the above have taken a turn in their sound after 1996, the year of "Crimson" release, and the fact that they all sound like "Crimson", some more than others, on their respective, subsequent albums, speaks volumes for influence. Not plagiarism not mindless copying, influence, inspiration. This is a common occurence throughout metal history, not least with the aforementioned who all end up influenced by other bands later and change styles. Katatonia and Dark Tranquillity get impacted by Depeche Mode which, in turn, influenced some of the non-metal stylings on "Crimson". Bands tour together and listen to each other's music, shit happens. Fact: Akerfeld recorded vocals and solos on "Crimson". Now look at that sentence: you see my SUGGESTION that I put in PARENTHESES to not confuse the Metal Inquisition (but I did anyway)? It's called a suggestion: I use parentheses where I am tired of using "in my opinion", instead. After all, isn't every review basically a big fucking opinion? Mentioning a certain fact in the middle of sentence does not account for a reason for a fact expressed in that sentence. If I say: "Yesterday, we tried to rebuilt the sand castle again without Johnny but the magic was gone so we gave up, this time for good", does it make a difference if I put a coma after again and after Johnny to distinguish from the unknown reason why it didn't work? "Yesterday, we tried to rebuilt the sand castle again, without Johnny, but the magic was gone so we gave up, this time for good" Well, actually, now it's worse because absence of Johnny is emphasized and the impression is like the reason for failure is most likely due to his absence, whereas before it may have been one of the reasons. It is a fact that Akerfeld was not on "Crimson II" and it is a fact that it was not as good as the first one. Does me mentioning two facts together in a sentence suggests I see a correlation? No, because of the simple fact that I DIDN'T fucking say so! Additionally, and this was intended, I suggest his absence as a POSSIBLE reason for the failure, but I don't say: "had they gotten Akerfeld to sing again it would have succeeded". Don't read into my sentences what it does not expressly say. If you do, you have only yourself to blame for your dissapointment. Finally: Dan Swanö did not resurrect anything because he was the band. Well, if you kill something in 1997 and you want it to live again a few years later, you have to bring it back to life. It's called ressurrection and it's exactly what happened. Who looks like a dumbass now? Four suggestions to the guy who called me a total amateur: 1. make sure you know that what you think the review says is not merely in your head, so as not to look like a reading comprehension amateur and raging lunatic you showed yourself to be. 2. Since we are all imperfect humans, we make mistakes. Me mentioning At The Gates was an honest one and there was certainly a more civilized way of letting me know I have made it without you being a total asshole about it, unless you are At the Gates member, manager or attorney. 3. Don't base one's competency on one example. 4. If you don't like my reviews, don't fucking read them. Before reading one, scroll down to see who wrote it and, seeing my name, skip it without having a cardiac arrest over it.

Dethster4life 12.08.2012 23:15

RE:Edge Of Sanity -

I bought this album when it came out here in Canada (June 1996). I loved it then and I love it now. I've actually really been into Edge of Sanity since late 1992. Too bad they split, but we now have Swano's Witherscape to look forward to. As I understand it, Witherscape will pick up where Swano's Moontower left off. Just awesome...

Zarathustra 616 14.08.2012 02:11

RE:Edge Of Sanity -

Damn, I think I have to listen to both albums (on vinyl, of course) now, even though I don't have time. You got me hooked...

Roy Kristensen 16.08.2012 13:46

RE:Edge Of Sanity -

Anybody out there still remember Pan-Thy Monium and especially "Dawn Of Dreams"

Roy Kristensen 20.08.2012 09:43

RE:Edge Of Sanity -

Yep, remember the band, and remember the unusual use of saxomophone. I have the second or third album on cd somewhere (I think), would be nice to get them all on vinyl.

Leif N 23.08.2012 14:30