Not be confused with the defunct Floridan sludge metal / crust punk band of the same name, Dystopia provides black metal with some death metal elements to boot. In the same vein as bands such as Emporer and Enslaved, they do a good job of creating dark and varied tunes with twists waiting to find your ears.
Not too long ago, they came out with a two song EP entitled “Haat” (clocking in at approximately 14 minutes). The release is available for streaming along with their 2012 debut “Decay” on Bandcamp. It’s also available on a sweet hard copy and for a “name your price” download. So if you’re into the darker side of things, give it a listen and grab it while you can.
I’m not huge into black metal but for some reason this band interested me. I personally contacted them and obtained a copy for the purposes of writing this review. They were very professional and focused. Great people to work with.
I ended up giving the full EP a first listen on cold and grey October day. It served as a perfect backdrop for the darkness about to surround my ears.
The first track, “Peace Through Power” blasts the EP open with a rolling tide of well-conceived Black Metal. It’s tall, dark, and empirical in it’s approach. Over six minutes, it brings on the scale of a kingdom. This effect is especially pushed by the throat ripping screams proclaiming lyrics of blackened majesty. Coldly conceived riffs lay into the fierce blast of the drums. The whole track is very well done but I have to say my favorite section would have to be 3:23 onward to the end. They even pack a sick guitar solo on the tail before moving into the EP’s second half.
“Bound To Annihilate” picks up in a clean darkness that transitions brilliantly into heavy force. Just like the calm before a storm raising hairs on the back of your neck. It strikes with an aggressive front, bringing forth a raging war across the dark kingdom introduced in the previous track. A sense of desperation and longing for respite also comes equipped. Musically, it’s just a very well conceived track showing promise in Dystopia.
I found one drawback with this EP. I must say I’m proud that they opted for better production than seemingly 90% of the other black metal bands in the world. Yet, the production does leave something to be desired in the end. That being said, I’m sure the Black Metal fans of the world will love this.
Speaking of which, it sounds like Dystopia has a new album in the works! If they keep up this level of work while expanding as the musicians they strike me as, it should be quite the tantalizing evil experience \m/ But for now, it’s recommended you enjoy the blackened soundscapes of “Haat”.
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