DARKWATER

After 9 years of absence ,Swedish prog metal outfit Darkwater is back with their third release Human. This is a really new begining for the band which was often compared with some leading bands in this genre. The album delivers solid progressive / melodic metal with powerful production sound and an exceptionally talented lead singer, Henrik Bath. The rest of the band are superb musicians as well , as they have created many memorable soundscapes in which such an amazing vocalist can shine. Cool riffs, great atmospheric / symphonic keyboards and catchy melodies are everywhere on this record. The prog elements added in the riffs and rhythm are very well placed and sound very natural. Highlights include Alive (Part II) (personal favorite) and In Front of You. The second part of the album has some monotonous moments and it does feel a bit hollow and lacking in dynamism at times and is the only thing at all that detracts from the overall quality of the album. Human is definitely a step forward in the band's career and proof that Darkwater still has something to offer in prog metal world.

"UPDATE INTERESTING NEW PROG"

Darkwater is a Swedish prog metal band, founded in 2003, the band released the albums Calling The Earth To Witness (2006) and Where Stories End (2010), then it took 9 years before Darkwater came with a third album entitled Human (2019). Although I am not very much into prog metal I don't dislike the genre. Because as a huge fan of Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin and Rush I am always up to heavy guitars and bombastic keyboards.

Listening to this album I notice that the musicians are skilled and the singer does a very good job in English. It is also the very distinctive realm of the prog metal (with hints from Dream Theater and Ayreon, along Europe) featuring heavy guitars and a thunderous rhythm-section. But Darkwater add two elements that make it more interesting than the average prog metal band. First the outstanding keyboard work, not only flashy synthesizer flights, but also sparkling piano, a captivating contrast with the heavy sound. There are awesome Gothic female choir layers in In Front Of You, Alive Part II and The Journey. And an orchestral sound in Turning Pages, and the final track Light Of Dawn (also sutble organ arpeggios in the intro).

And second the band knows how and when to slow down, in order to create tension, and to keep my attention. Like in the opener A New Beginning, from tender piano to a 24-carat prog metal climate with thunderous drums and heavy guitar riffs. And also in the dreamy Alive Part I (mellow vocals, acoustic guitar and soaring keyboards) and the varied Burdens (between dreamy and bombastic).

The magnum opus on this album is the alternating epic Reflections On A Mind: a splendid, very varied keyboard sound, an excellent vocal job, and exciting propulsive guitar riffs and thunderous drums, this is top notch prog metal!

Highly recommended, not only for the prog metal fans, but also those progheads who are into harder-edged prog and Heavy Prog.

Known for their melodic progressive metal sound, Darkwater is another metal band formed in Sweden in 2003. Since the time of their formation, they have only released 3 albums. Their 3rd album, released in March of 2019, and named "Human" is their first album in almost a decade. The band, however, has pretty much been left intact. Henrik Bath is on Vocals and guitars, Markus Sigfridsson also on guitars, Magnus Holmberg on keyboards, Simon Andersson on bass, and Tobias Enbert on drums.

"Human" was announced as an album with more intensity than previously, but still with attention given to the melodic side. The band is not afraid to have epic length songs either, with 5 of the 10 tracks exceeding 8 minutes and lasting as long as 11 minutes. The entire album is over 75 minutes. The music is inspired by early Dream Theater and Fates Warning, but Darkwater has a sound of their own. This is actually closer to how you wish the newer Dream Theater would sound.

"A New Beginning" starts off with a peaceful piano solo and the blasts into life led off with synthesizers and later joined by heavy riffs and vocals. Even with the heaviness, the continuing piano is not buried, but mixed in with all of the other powerful sound and still easy to hear, so everything is present and up front. Nothing is drowned out, the heavy guitars don't overpower the organ that comes in later, this is an excellent recording with everything in balance. The next track "In Front of You" follows in the same vein, lots of guitar and keys, and even sounds inspired from "Devin Townsend" with the choral-like synths, wall of sound style and even the harmonies on the chorus. Things calm a bit when the vocals start, but still stay somewhat heavy as things continue. Things even get a bit symphonic during the instrumental break, and then go very progressive with an awesome section. I really like this!

"Alive Pt. 1" is a short atmospheric introduction with guitar and vocals which moves into "Alive Pt. 2" which continues with this same balanced sound, heavy at times, lush in other sections, great guitar solos and synth work and melodic themes and vocals. "Reflection of a Mind" is the longest track on the album and begins with a music box style that builds and follows a dramatic and symphonic style. There are a lot of changes and emotion on this track that will keep progressive lovers happy. The music here will keep those that like heaviness happy, but will also be appealing to those that love variety, dynamics and complexity. It's all here and it all fits together quite well, plenty of guitars and plenty of keyboards.

This is the style that you can expect from the entire album. The music on here is progressive, heavy and still quite accessible all at the same time. While the music is progressive metal, there are a lot of keyboard parts here also and the music is all top notch. I would recommend this album to anyone who loves this style of music. If you love the aforementioned bands, then you will also love this.

Out of the many European moderately progressive metal bands, Darkwater's Where Stories End is one of the most accessible albums. In fact, I can imagine a metal head taking his girlfriend, who is more into goth or new wave, to the show. Don't worry, boy, the band is technically proficient. Don't worry, girl, they won't hit you in the head with frenzied intros or sudden changes. Intros are mostly melancholically lush, melodic tweaks in subsequent verses and choruses, transitions between various movements and moods - from mysterious to the more agitated and, less often, more uplifting - smooth. For slightly more adventorous, but less refined, version of the same, check Darkwater's first album.

Calling the Earth to Witness is a surprising beast. Darkwater's second, Where Stories End, is a highly melodic, but fairly standard piece of lightly progressive metal, with a pop-gothic feel. The first album is not dissimilar, maybe a bit rawer and heavier, not because of the guitar sound - it's crunchy but not banging - but of overall feel. But Darkwater guys allow themselves to stretch out here more, resulting in some 9-minute-plus songs with winding instrumental jams and heady prog structures (on Habit and Tallest Tree). Jams not your usual guitar-synth rapid solos plus atmospheric break, but groovy (especially song Again) and not always predictable. A peculiar feature is the vocal - good, but something I'd associate with some American teen angst song, for example, given the lyrics of All Eyes On Me.

This is one of those bands that became a favorite of mine almost right away. I actually wasn't sure about it the first time I listened to their debut, but after each listen I loved them more and more. While some people compare them to Dream Theater, and I do hear the resemblence, they also have a style their own - a little more laid back, relying less on lightning fast riffs, and building more on the compound rhythms. This is quite possibly one of my top 10 most played albums in my collection - one I keep coming back to after periods away, and I would recommend it to anyone.

3.5 stars. "Where Stories End" is DARKWATER's followup to the amazing debut, and it's regarded by most to be just as good as the first one and I think it's close but...while I felt the debut ran out of steam part way through then picked back up this one has even more of those average sounding tracks but only a couple more. So yeah i've enjoyed this for the most part but the excitement I had with their debut didn't happen at all here. More of the same I suppose, plus i've been listening to a lot of DAY SIX's latest which for me is a better Prog-Metal album and it's hard not to compare when i'm listening to them during the same week.

"Breathe" opens with synths but it turns heavy quickly.Vocals after a minute. A good start. "Why I Bleed" opens with strings then it kicks in.Vocals before 2 minutes. I'm just not feeling it with these first two tracks.Strings end it. "Into The Cold" has a good heavy sound with an orchestral flavour though.Vocals after a minute.The best part of this track is the instrumental section beginning before 4 minutes. A calm follows but not for long.Vocals are back before 6 minutes. "A Fool's Utopia" opens with piano then a heavier sound rolls in followed by vocals.This is a good one.

"Queen Of The Night" is heavy to start as synths join in. I like the atmosphere after 3 minutes. A nice heavy soundscape follows. Excellent tune. "In The Blink Of An Eye" is another heavy track and the guitar sounds great 4 minutes in. Keys a minute later. Atmosphere before 6 minutes to end it. "Fields Of Sorrow" opens with atmosphere as it builds to a heavy sound.Vocals after a minute. It settles back 3 minutes in. It slows down after 4 1/2 minutes but it's still heavy then it picks back up.

"Without A Sound" opens with piano then things turn heavy. Lots of synths and heaviness before 4 minutes. Piano only 5 minutes in then it kicks back in. "Walls Of Deception" is another heavy tune but it's not as good as the last five.

3.5 stars because it's just not doing much for me. I don't look forward to playing this one like I did with the debut.

DARKWATER are a Swedish Prog-Metal band and this is their excellent debut released in 2007. Man i'm impressed with this band and album. In fact after the first four tracks I was thinking 5 stars but then it leveled off for me but it's still a very solid 4 stars. What is it with Sweden and Metal ? The bass player thanks Daniel Gildenlow and the gang. I like just about everything about this album, well except for the short ballad (haha). I love the way the keyboards are implimented and the singer has an excellent voice.They can rock hard or create atmosphere.

"2534167" is a short and strange intro. "All Eyes On Me" kicks in heavily rather quickly. As I mentioned earlier the keyboards are a nice touch and used so well here. Vocals around a minute as it settles. Contrasts continue. What a great sounding tune. Love the dark mood and also the uplifting chorus and those words "Don't stare. Don't stand so close". It kicks in hard after 5 1/2 minutes. "Again" is heavy duty to start. How good is this ! It settles with keys a minute in. So good as the guitar joins in. It's still heavy.Vocals before 2 minutes. I like that crunchy sound with vocals. A nice heavy sound after 6 1/2 minutes with background synths. "Habit" kicks in hard quickly.Vocals before 2 minutes. Lots of riffs here too. I like the calm after 4 minutes then it kicks back in as contrasts continue. Great sound 7 minutes in. An all out assault before 9 1/2 minutes. Piano only before 11 1/2 minutes then it kicks back in. Absolutely amazing up to this point.

"The Play-I" is a short ballad with fragile vocals and piano. Not a fan. "The Play- II" is much better.The tempo picks up when the vocals arrive.Vocals and piano only before 5 1/2 minutes as it continues to shift and change. Nice and heavy 7 minutes in. "Shattered" has a heavy intro then the synths take over. Heaviness is back ! Nice and crunchy as it settles in. Great tune but not as good as songs 2 to 4. "Tallest Tree" is heavy then piano only takes over before the heaviness returns.Vocals join in. Nice guitar solo 3 1/2 minutes in. Riffs follow. Piano only again before 5 minutes as themes are repeated. "In My Dreams" opens with keys then it kicks in heavily. Great sound here. We're galloping a minute in.Vocals follow as it settles some.Guitar solo before 4 1/2 minutes and piano comes in late.

A must for Prog-Metal fans and I can't wait to hear their latest.

I generally don't listen to a lot of progressive metal, but this album, Where Stories End, is just superb.

Something that usually turns me off of progressive metal bands are their tendency to be unbearably technical for no good reason other than for the sake of technicality, which is something that Darkwater seems to have eschewed from their sound. This album is full of wonderfully crafted, memorable, and catchy progressive metal with a few hints of technical prowess shown only at the right moments. Another thing that this band has that other progressive metal bands sometimes lack is a great vocalist. Henrik Båth has some great pipes, and he never uses his vocals for the prog metal banshee effect. The only other progressive metal band that I'm familiar with is Dream Theater (duh, c'mon...), and I'm thinking that I actually prefer this Darkwater album over most of DT's work for all of the above reasons. If you feel similar, then this album should be very comfortable. Another plus concerning this album is the atmospheric symphonic keyboard touches that really give this music an epic and spatial feel.

Definitely one of the better prog metal releases I've heard over the past few years. Highly recommended, and a great example of the road that progressive metal should continue on.

Solid, solid, solid. Darkwater have released an incredible debut. The instrumental talent is superb as most prog metal bands are. Though I smell no cheese, this is serious music instrumentally and more so lyrically. Though not quite as technical as say Dream Theater, they rely heavier on great melodies and such. I love the vocalist too. I know for some the guitar chugging can be repetitive, but honestly with all my like to extreme metal and such, this is some of the best guitar chugging I've ever heard. I love whatever sound the guitarist is using, it just rocks. Sure there are great little instrumental breaks (The song Again has such a sweet one that I think Mr. Petrucci would be pleased) For the sub-genre of prog metal this is one the best albums in the genre period. The sound is unique, unlike most of the prog metal bands I've heard (but love prog metal anyway). This is a masterpiece. Tallest Tree has one of the most powerful lyrics I've heard. And Shattered, wow that song rocks. The rest of the album is solid too!

Five out of Five.