SAMMATH: Dodengang CD. Symphonic black metal. Check samples.

Highly recommended for those who like a bit of deathly violence injected into their grim black metal but who also prefer the rawness and natural sound to remain intact. Rest assured there's no overproduction or cheesy typewriter-click drum triggers here, just a nasty black metal tank, rolling over your fucking head. Dodengang features a wistful, haunted quality amid all the bloody misanthropy on offer here, and Sammath as a musical unit easily reflects the age and experience its members should be in possession of. In conclusion, Dodengang is a sound fusion of eerie melody and bleak, hellish chaos, plus well-worth checking out for obscure BM collectors. Dodengang is well recommended.

SAMPLES: www.myspace.com/46960984/music-player?sindex=-1.0&shuffle=false&amix=fal...

J.Kruitwagen - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Koos Bos - Drums

1. To Hell 01:11
2. Ravager 05:43
3. Dodengang 08:53 www.sammath.nl/dodengang.mp3
4. Ashes to Ashes 04:44
5. Imminence War Death 06:11
6. Stalingrad 06:27
7. Oblivion 05:59
8. Merciless 06:24
Total playing time 45:32

Dark Funeral is clearly the prevailing influence here, as Sammath almost note-for-note copies that band's distinctive style of dark, dogmatic riffing based on tremolo picking or the occasional attempt at being epic (which just means slowing the music down and using held chords, not actually changing the sense of melody or anything). Sammath occasionally attempts to liven up the proceedings by very briefly introducing keyboards at pivotal moments in the songs (such as near the end of 'Stalingrad'), but really they're so sparsely used that the impression they make while present is immediately forgotten in the ensuing tide of perpetual blast beats and tremolo riffs. The riffs are good, the drumming is fast and consistent, and the vocals are reasonably hateful, so it is for all intents and purposes a satisfactory black metal album.