It was just over a year ago that I first encountered the symphonic gothic blackness of Darzamat. I know that isn't a genre, but it seems fitting. They have a sound that surges forward with melodic brutality, and this DVD shows them take that to the stage.
Think of Evanescence if they had dropped the poppier sensibilities and went into the darkness rather than playing around in shadows. This Polish sextet definitely put on a good show. This release from MVD (produced by Metal Mind) is their first excursion into the home video market, and it is loaded with live material and bonus videos and documentaries. If you are a fan of Darzamat, like symphonic black, or are just looking for something different, this DVD is definitely worth adding to your collection.
Each year there are a number of glorious metal festivals across Europe. One of the largest of these shows is held in Poland. It is called Metalmania and it has been going strong for nearly two decades. Why do I mention this? Well, the heart of this DVD was Darzamat's set from the 2007 edition this past March.
The show is headlined by Testament, and also counted Sepultura, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Entombed among the bands that Darzamat shared the main stage with. Given the opportunity, this would be a great festival to attend. Fortunately, the show gets a DVD/CD release each year. That is all besides the point. While on the Metalmania set you may get a couple of songs, here you get the full set.
The hometown crowd roar in approval as Darzamat takes the stage and they kick into the opening song: "Labyrinth of Anxiety." Flauros and Nera bring their vocal dynamics to the stage, clutching their mic stands, each with the dragon-like logo from their latest album, Transkarpatia. It is a fitting image as the band name is derived from a protective deity guarding gardens and forests in Slavonic mythology. It also looks pretty cool. The second song was the lead track from Transkarpatia, "The Burning Times." It is a song that perfectly puts their sound on display, and the live version is excellent. It is a dense, melodic excursion into darkness. It features atmospheric keyboards, driving drums, heavy guitar riffs, and excellent vocals from both leads.
The rest of the set is just as good as they play some great high energy music. Their stage presence is what you would expect from this style of music. They do not move around the stage much, staying in one general location while their swinging hair gives the illusion of movement. There is nothing wrong with this, as they still have a charismatic presence that kept the crowd, and me, involved. I really like these guys. The final song, "Diabelski Dom cz.II," features a guest singer, Roman Kostrzewski. It's OK, I didn't know who he was either. I found out he is a founding member of a metal group called Kat and has been accused of spreading Satanism. He also narrates an audio book of Anton Levey's The Satanic Bible. The performance is quite good.
Technically, it is not the best looking concert, in terms of the transfer quality, but it is still quite good. The camera work is good, giving us adequate views of the stage and the individual members, while never forcing you to keep up with mile-a-minute cuts. Audio is nice and full and presented in both a 5.1 mix and a stereo mix. The set runs 45 minutes.
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