Search - Arkaea :: Years in the Darkness

Hard to get past the Chester Bennington-type soaring vocals.

J. Knapp | Tuscola, IL. | 08/15/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The music itself is satisfying, especially if you love Fear Factory and what Dino Cazares is doing with Divine Heresy. But two things jump out while listening to this album:



1) The production and overall sound isn't as good when compared to Divine Heresy's new album, Bringer of Plagues. It's only natural to compare the two. I listened to these two albums back-to-back and, unfortunately, Arkaea's debut sounds flat and tinny in comparison to Bringer of Plagues. Dino is in a league of his own as far as pure riffage is concerned. The only other guitarist I can compare him to as far as consistently creating mind-blowing riffs is Dimebag. And sorry, I love Raymond Herrera's drum work, but DH's Tim Yeung is better. Overall, Bringer of Plagues just has a more polished, more powerful sound.



2) The previously mentioned vocals. Singing on this album is Threat Signal's Jon Howard. When he's not doing his Linkin Park impression, the guy is pretty good and his approach is appropriate. But I cannot understand why Herrera and Christian Olde-Wolbers would allow such an annoying vocal style to ruin an otherwise very good metal album. It's almost comical. It's hard to take the songs seriously when you're trying to hold back laughter. What's even more perplexing is Howard does not take this approach in Threat Signal. He does switch back and forth between growling and singing, but it's more reminiscent of Burton C. Bell's work in Fear Factory.



Any fan of Fear Factory/Divine Heresy/Threat Signal will want to pick up this album. Just don't expect to be blown away, and most definitely prepare yourself for the awkward choruses that will make you think you've been transported back to the year 2000 when you may have thought Hybrid Theory was a great album. A 4 star album is reduced to 3 stars for this very reason."

Dissapointing to say the least.

dustinbagz | Ne usa | 08/21/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I was very exited about this I love the threat signal album under reprisal.Some of the post dino fear factory is ok. But this sucks!!!

Same eff-n song 13 times.I think as with the threat signal the vocals are mic'd way to high in the mix to much of that previously stated linken park type vocal wich was only here or there in threat signal. and at least in threat signal there was really amazing guitar work. if this was the new fear factory it would not even hold a candle to the new divine heresy;Bringer of Plagues.

which goes to show once again that dino cezares was the genious behind fear factory all along."