REALMBUILDER
Blue Flame Cavalry
(I Hate Records)
34:16min

North American outfit REALMBUILDER releases its latest album via I Hate Records from Sweden. The title off their 3rd output, "Blue Flame Cavalry", encompasses the whole concept into which they dwell: Epic Doom Metal. And yes, with such a sub-genre tag, REALMBUILDER is indeed a strange band in itself. I have always related Doom Metal (in my humble opinion, a rich and misunderstood genre) with sadness, deception and despair. Never could I have related such depressing music with epic battles or war crusades and yet REALMBUILDER has accomplished (up to a certain extent) this combination. It is like mixing MANOWAR themed lyrics with Folk music and the lighter side of Doom Metal. Yet, I found some NWOBHM influences here and there. Also, some of the most inspired parts resemble the old masters, CIRITH UNGOL and BROCAS HELM. The production is good. Maybe, a little more mid-range in the guitar tone could’ve helped to make this album a lot heavier and less treble-y. The drum sound, a little muddy for my taste, goes along very well with the bass guitar tone that supports the recording. The mix highlights the parts that need a boost depending on the atmospheres they want to create in each song. And every instrument is well heard. Surprisingly, the keyboards are used subtlety and in a really intelligent manner. They come and go as needed. A really nice detail I may say, since it seems today, that resource is overly abused. All in all, I think the album lacks cohesion. Structure wise, it seems the songs start and end without memorable moments or riffs. I mean, the atmosphere is there, definitively. As strange as it sounds, the epicness is attained. But the Doom laden parts are a little out of place. The music, which is the backbone to everything, needs a boost. The faster parts, with the influences cited above, sound a lot better than the slower parts. Overall, if you are intrigued by the combination that REALMBUILDER offers to the listener, go ahead and get their material. It’s well worth it if you are looking for something different, yet, done is a good way. But if you seek for Doom Metal per se, you won’t find it here. The band can be contacted here: www.myspace.com/realmbuilder. Or you can contact their label here: www.ihate.se

Alfonso Perez

Alfonso Perez

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