Dies Ater is the name I heard somewhere, but never bumped into their music. Not until Neon Knights sent their promo, that is. The band comes from Berlin and their trade is black metal. Germany and black metal together... Not much good is said about them together, right?!

Dies Ater's black metal is cold and epic, yet it has soul. A lot of this music could go with dark metal tag, too. Industrial elements are present throughout the album, right from great, atmosphere-setting instrumental 'Bitter Winter Waft'. Listening a sample from previous album 'Through Weird Woods' (2000), this sounds a tad more inorganic, but as I mentioned earlier, it has soul. The band doesn't stick on a certain part for too long, but go onwards. Interesting things come in many a shape; heavy metal riffing, proggish things, soundtrack-ish parts, eerie acoustics and blast beat hell. Nothing new, right? Right, but well composed as a whole. Guitars are sharp, but not ballsless, drums are big and synths, well, they are great. There's familiar symphonic material, but also futuristic things and xenophiliac atmospheres and I do not mean bleeps and bings, but in a soundtrack-ish way. And one important thing: Dies Ater do their stuff, they ain't copyists of Dimmu Borgir or Emperor, even though there's some similarities in working methods of these three bands.

Sound is echoing, but maybe a bit chaotic at some points, when the ban utilizes their whole force. Echo makes it cold and it sounds quite perfect for this dark, spellbinding music. There's enough power behind it, just. Vocals are truly varying: Black metal shriek, a bit of clear heavy metal vocals and spoken and hissed words. Lyrics are not too good, since there's some bad English (and funny; "a retribution of drowning, charming evildrunken voices"). Two of the songs are in the band's native language. The lyrics are epic, in way of Emperor and Dimmu Borgir ("distant towers, covered by mighty shadows").

I like this album quite a lot and my liking grows on every spin I give this. I can recommend 'Chanting Evil' for those who enjoy dark metal and black metal. Dies Ater do not only have a sound of the future, but their roots are in the old times. And the band honor the traditions.

Rating: 6+ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
10/22/2003 20:21