Darkest Era - Last Caress of Light
Metal Blade
Folk/Heavy Metal
8 songs (58:22)
Release year: 2011
Metal Blade
Reviewed by Thomas
Album of the month

Darkest Era hails from Ireland and got picked up by Metal Blade after their brilliant EP The Journey Through Damnation, released back in 2008. Obvious influence from their always compelling native mythology ran like blood through their veins then, and still do. Applying celtic themes to music, and especially metal is extremely captivating when done properly. The prime example of that is obviously Primordial, a band Darkest Era draw on quite clearly. However, these guys aren´t just a cheap, plagiarizing knock off. Celtic influence seep through this band and the music they write, and it´s actually pretty damn fantastic.

This band plays with rock solid confidence. Besides Primordial they compare with Slough Feg in terms of sound and Forefather in terms of melodies. In the foundation lies the obvious influence of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. In other words, this kicks some serious ass.

Opener The Morrigan is one of two tracks that survived the cut from their first EP. The clean intro screams Primordial, but the song quickly dips into heavy metal territory with awesome riffs and slick drumming. Vocalist Dwayne Maguire is a force to be reckoned with. His voice is thick and strong, mostly staying in the mid-level range proclaiming celtic lore mightily. He carries each and every tune forward with perfected ease adding to the apparent quality of this. Playing music like this demands outstanding performances, which is what you´ll get through this whole journey.

An overall majestic performance by Darkest Era makes Last Caress of Light one of 2011´s best albums, which undoubtedly would have fought itself into my top 10 had I checked it out earlier. Drenched in fantastic riffs, spine-chilling vocals and stunning melodies, this glimmering gem of a record should not be overlooked. The finishing trio, led by the sorrowful yet fantastic The Face of the Black Tide, accoustic poem Poem to the Gael, and abolutely fantastic Last Caress of Light Before the Dark sums this giant of a bewitchment up. Darkest Era leaves you with a huge impression and even greater expectations for what is to come with their next album. Keep an eye out for this one, especially if you´re a fan of titans such as Slough Feg, Primordial, and everything related.
Killing Songs :
ALL!
Thomas quoted 90 / 100
Other albums by Darkest Era that we have reviewed:
Darkest Era - Gods and Origins reviewed by Alex and quoted no quote
Darkest Era - Severance reviewed by Thomas and quoted 90 / 100
Darkest Era - The Journey Through Damnation reviewed by Alex and quoted 87 / 100
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