DARKRISE, Unbeliever  (2006, Deadsun)

The skull:
Mrs. Skull:  Good morning, sunshine!
Mr. Skull: Good morning, my love.
Mrs. Skull: Coffee?
Mr. Skull: Oh, yes, please! [pause] I hardly remember getting home last night. [longer pause] How long did I sleep?

Mrs. Skull does not answer. She’s busy in the kitchen adding strychnine to her husband’s morning pick-me-up, which will put-him-down real good. She’s had about enough of his cheatin’ ways and intends to wipe that stupid-ass smile off his face and extinguish that gleam in his eye once and for all.

The music:
I wasn’t able to find the music of this, Darkrise’s second album, and their various sites only expose the public to the latest two albums (2009’s Built and 2013’s Realeyes). Diligent detective work leads me to believe that Unbeliever probably doesn’t sound too far away from their later stuff, which bears resemblance to a cross between Misery Index, Deeds of Flesh and Vader, but in an even more modern context — it’s all blasting drums, semi-technical precision riffs and everything-pushed-to-the-red production. The only recognizable difference between newer Darkrise and older Darkrise, on paper at least, is that the song titles of Unbeliever are like a PG-13 Aborted: “Stomachal Restitution,” “Narcofellation,” “Orgasm in Blood,” that sort of thing. The vocals on these later albums are mostly garden variety death, with a few higher pitched ones, as when Napalm Death does the same. I saw one picture of the band where they’re wearing Napalm Death, Exodus and Behemoth shirts, and that’s about says it all, along with the other bands mentioned above. These Swiss dudes are 100% capable of delivering what they have set out to deliver but there isn’t a shred of originality or individuality in any of it, which will forever keep them in the shadow of those who came before and did it better. Only indiscriminate death metal fans need apply. And there must be a ton of you out there, because it’s like these sorts of bands are growing on trees.
— Friar Wagner