Year: 2021
Total Time: 48:09
Label: Self-Financed
DARK ZODIAK were formed at the year 2011 in Southwestern Germany and “Ophiuchus” is their third release. According to the International Astronomical Union (IUA), Ophiuchus is one of 88 official constellations and it’ s name comes from the Greek word “Ophiuchos” represented by a man grasping a snake. However, between all the 13 zodiac constellations, Ophiuchus is not considered as an astrological zodiac sign.
Truth is that I hadn’t heard anything before about this band, so I was quite curious of what I’m going to hear when I’ve pushed the “play” button. From the first notes of “Do More Say Less”, a mix of aggressive and solid Thrash/Death Metal filled the air with a clear production, which is not common for an independent release. Well, this tells me a lot. This group tried to focus on the details, spending a lot of hours for this release at the rehearsal room, with a lot of practice on their songs. Another worth mentioning thing is that there are two female members in DARK ZODIAK, the vocalist Simone Schwarz and the bassist Steffi Bergmann, a fact that is not obvious until you read the cd’s booklet.
Simone Schwarz’s voice is quite dynamic for the Death Metal genre and sometimes slips into more grindcore screams and “piggish” snorts, but this is the vocal range. The structure of the songs is simple and is based more on brutality and heaviness than in technique. The collaboration of rhythm section is flawless performing the basic things, double bass and blastbeats, along with solid bass. Speaking of bass, this sometime takes the lead and performs some solos, something that impressed me in a pleasant way. The guitar solos are brief and substantial, wordy not at all and when DARK ZODIAK decide to step into the Thrash side. They are doing it with a “teenag-y” band attitude, full of excitement and appetite!
In conclusion “Ophiuchus” is an old fashioned Death Metal record with extra dose of aggressive Thrash Metal, which will probably enthuse the metal fans without granting them with something innovative. There isn’t any highlight, a memorable moment, a sense of difference and unpredictability, there is only a smooth flow with a few glimpses. The standard for the current Death/Thrash scene are in a high level, so if a new band wants to make a step furthermore to the top, it has to provide something new, something unique. In case DARK ZODIAC want to make this step forward and pass to a higher level, they will need more inspiration and more imagination for their next songs. However, the fans of the genre give it a try!
Rating: 6/10
Editor: Dimos Karadimos
Related Link: DARK ZODIAK – Official page
