DUMAL
The Confessor
(Iron Fist Productions)
44:18min

DUMAL is a band from Pennsylvania (USA) and “The Confessor ” is their second album, released on CD format by Iron Fist Productions from Sweden, 3 years after their debut “The Lesser God”, which came out in 2017. This is the first material I’ve listened to and it instantly reminded me of the good old 90s. It is not a rip off but a worthy and excellent worship of the Norgewian Black Metal bands from that era. I would never have guessed this is a North American band. It has all the characteristic composition and sound of some of the big names ie. BURZUM, DARKTHRONE and even BATHORY. Their songs evoke the atmosphere and feeling without coming out as a copycat, since they have managed to add their own twist to it. Yes, North America has proven that they can take a classic musical style and add their own sound to it. DUMAL dwells in the mid to fast paced Black Metal, featuring march-like passages and blast attacks full of eerie and melodic guitar riffs, tight bass lines and sharp drum patterns. Guitarist Andrew Dorflinger combines memorable minor tremolo and open chords, adding some calm arpeggiated touches to keep things from sounding too much alike. The excellent riffs are followed perfectly by bassist (and vocalist) Adam Siatkowski. He follows all the guitar riffs tightly and never strays from his path. Add that to Evan Williams’ solid drum work, who provides a perfect backbone to the string section, and you have a thoroughly enjoyable album that never lets you down. Also, Adam’s vocals, although one dimensional for my taste, add a lot of character, using an atypical mid-pitched shriek. All these performances show that the trio is composed of well seasoned, capable musicians dedicated to their craft. The production is raw, just a tad polished and a perfect fit for this collection of songs. The mix is well balanced when it comes down to the music, with all the instruments nicely set in place, although, for me, the vocals are pushed back a little. Even the mastering has a lot of headroom and much welcomed dynamics. I mean, if someone told me this album came out back in 1994, I would have believed that without even thinking about it. Yes, the atmosphere and the sound is spot on and it delivers the goods. Although it may not be the most original or innovative album in the subgenre, the passion and honesty of these guys for this specific subgenre really shine through. “The Confessor” is a great album. And even more for those, like me, who still long for the early Black Metal days. Support the band at https://dumal.bandcamp.com and get their album from the label here: www.facebook.com/ironfistproductions1

Alfonso Perez

Alfonso Perez

Sorry, comments are closed!