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THE DUSKFALL ‘Lifetime Supply Of Guilt’ Nuclear Blast(2005)
I can only assume that when Mikael Sandorf (guitars) first decided to form The Duskfall, he did so with the hope of getting away from all the "old demons" that were haunting his dreams since the early days when he was still a member of the Gates of Ishtar. It seems, though, that the same problems that led to the end of that melodic Death metal outfit were once again present: a variety of line up changes and communications issues were undermining the future of The Duskfall, but that all changed when Sandorf's old partner Oskar Karlsson (drums, also Gates of Ishtar) decided to step in and save the day.
With his contribution the band recorded two full-length releases, "Frailty" (2002) and "Source" (2003) - both of which were targeting a death metal audience that showed a specific preference for the Gothenburg sound (In Flames, The Haunted). Continuing along the same lines of attack, and with Nuclear Blast still supporting their cause, the members of The Duskfall are once again ready to invade the privacy of your room with their ten compositions that are featured n their latest album, entitled "Lifetime Supply of Guilt".
Now, even though I support every band that's striving to achieve the best possible quality for both their sound and their compositions, I believe that this is not the required strategy in the case of The Duskfall. I understand that it may sound quite ironic, but the ten compositions which are featured in "Lifetime Supply of Guilt" are so well calculated and polished that, instead of blowing you away with their strength and energy, they give you the feeling of a controlled explosion. There are quite a few moments on this album like the opening guitar riff of "The Shallow End", or the main melodic theme of "Shoot It In", which show how well-skilled the members of this band really are, but that didn't seem to make a huge difference for the overall result. I am not the kind of person who will abandon a promo after the first couple of spins, but , following the numerous chances I gave "Lifetime Supply of Guilt", the result was always the same: indifference.
I am feeling a little bit guilty for not being able to give them a higher rating, especially since I know that I will probably quite enjoy them live, but I am afraid that it will be very difficult for this release to become appealing to non-dedicated fans of Gothenburg's melodic Death metal scene. Once again, I urge you to listen to this album and draw your own conclusions.
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Review by John Stefanis
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