Rating: 9.7/10
Release: 7 November 2024
Label: MDD Records

Suidakra’s new effort is like their previous effort Wolfbite a competent and well-written album that proves conclusively that the ferocity and bite of the album preceding it was not luck, there is no doubt after a series of acoustic experiments and an album rerecording older hits that Suidakra can still deliver knockout power with their music. Every other track you do find some overwhelmingly melodic passages, and there was some elaborate solos on one or two tracks but that aside, the speed, riffs, and vocal delivery has energy and intensity that hasn’t been hit since the Arcanum or Lupine essence. The raw speed is a carryover from Wolfbite and the acoustic and folk interludes peppered across the album are faithful to their older content off Book of Dowth or even some hints of the more inspired songwriting off Cimbric Yarns. Overall this album is an excellent Suidakra release, the music on here will be on repeat for the next week, and it ties together all the elements that Suidakra experimented with in different eras, working in melody, more death metal chugging, and folk passages that makes this seem like an opus that blends together all the best elements from their history. However, one thing holds the album back from perfection – there is a critique that is sometimes made with bands that get too obsessed with melody and neglect some of the more varied or straightforward (two sides of an axis) approaches to songwriting and thus manage to sound pretty and epic but without the richness or attack you would get otherwise. This album has moments where the melody is very in your face, it doesn’t hurt the album or the music but given that the album runs such a full spectrum of music it sometimes feels a little underwhelming. But at the end of the day, I would confidently recommend Darkanagrad for fans both old and new, and especially the jaded ones who perhaps didn’t approach anything after Cimbric Yarns. For the latter group, this review and a subsequent listen of Darkanagrad should put that cynicism to bed.

Tracklist

1. The Weight of Worlds 01:06
2. As Heroes Abide 03:17
3. Unravelling Destinies 04:31
4. Seven Sentinels 05:59
5. A Tainted Dominion 04:05
6. Ashes of Truth 02:55
7. The Heart of Darkness 06:24
8. The Last Guardian 07:23
9. Cruinnath’s Breath 03:54
10. In Shadows Deep 04:02
11. At the Gates Medley 06:12