Dimicandum – The Legacy of Gaia

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June 15, 2013 by Beldrac

Kontinuum – Earth Blood Magic

Rating: [10/13]

Country: Ukraïne

Released: 2012

Genre: Gothic Death Metal

Website: Official

I’m glad I took a chance on Dimicandum and signed up for their promo, even though I’ve neither heard of them nor one note they’ve played. The Ukrainian Metal scene rarely reaches these Southerly shores and it’s good to wander into the wilderness from time to time.

The release sheet describes them as an Atmospheric Metal band, which is partly true, but predominantly it’s a mix between Heavy Metal and Melodic Death Metal with some Gothic fringe. It’s very catchy and the vocals alternate between clean singing in a pleasant deep tone and some croaky screams and growls. Overall the album has a very dark atmosphere, as the album cover implies, but it’s not oppressing in any way.

The opener and title track, “The Legacy of Gaia,” kicks off the album with a heavy, almost thrashy, riff and mixed vocals and lays the foundation of what’s to come. The melodies are what stay with you after you’ve listened to the album though, “Give Me a Name” does a good job of showcasing the vocal talents of Roman Semenchuk and even though the growls and screams aren’t perfect yet, the clean parts are powerful and, like on the opening lines of “The Gates of Ishtar,” very soulful. “Indigo Child” displays some Metalcore influences, which I don’t really care for, but the song’s saved by a nice injection of melody between verses and once again, by a catchy chorus. The production is clear and well balanced, in the intro of “Sumerian’s Warning” the keyboards are lifted out slightly to give it an epic gleam. This is the most Progressive of the songs, most ambitious and in my opinion, the best on the album though ironically, not the most catchy. But that’s fine by me, the others more than make up for it.

This is a relatively short and very accessible album and I’d recommend this to anyone with a liking for melodic metal, but who’s also looking for something with an edge and lyrics that tell an interesting tale. This album might not make it onto my playlist too regularly in the future as it lacks the depth to really stick to memory and I feel I’ve found all there was to explore. Nonetheless, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the album and hopefully will hear more from them over the next few years.

**Free album: go to their website and enter your e-mail address to get a link to download the album for free! Well done, guys, that’s how you self-promote.**

My original review at TMO.