Album Review: Buried Realm – The Dormant Darkness (Self Released)
The melodic death metal force, Buried Realm, returns with a brand new album, The Dormant Darkness, due to be released on the 4th of April.
Buried Realm emerged in Colorado Springs, Colorado, under the creative vision of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Josh Dummer. Buried Realm deliver a blend of technical rhythm and lead guitars, atmospheric synths, and progressive songwriting, drawing influence from 1980s shred guitar icons like Jason Becker and Marty Friedman, as well as American and Scandinavian death metal. With a desire to break free from formulaic approaches, Josh explores diverse atmospheres and ideas, crafting music that pushes creative boundaries.
Across Buried Realm’s three albums to date —The Ichor Carcinoma (2017), Embodiment of the Divine (2020),and Buried Realm (2022)— collaborations with metal luminaries are a large feature. Appearances from Brandon Ellis (The Black Dahlia Murder), Teemu Mäntysaari (Megadeth/Wintersun), Björn Strid (Soilwork), Christopher Amott (ex-Arch Enemy), Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry), and Christian Muenzner (ex-Obscura) infuse the music with diverse influences. Here on The Dormant Darkness expect to also hear guests with the likes of Christian Älvestam, Gus G, Björn Strid and more adding their influence.
Josh Dummer comments:
“The Dormant Darkness is a deeply personal journey, featuring incredible contributions from artists I’ve admired since my teenage years. Collaborating with them has been nothing short of surreal. This album represents a new chapter of creative exploration and growth as a musician (hopefully, haha), and I’m thrilled to finally share it with you.”
The album kicks off with Bloodline Artifice, delivering a fast and heavy start to The Dormant Darkness. Punchy riffs, crushing drums and strong vocals lead the charge in a powerful blast of aggression. Dealing with themes of betrayal and shattered innocence, the anger is palpable. Leaning more towards death metal, mostly, even in the fiery solo, it’s a mosher and a headbanger. There are still moments of magic to elevate it above just a well delivered blast track with the female vocal section really elevating the track and splatters of lead guitar melody adding depth.
Futuristic Hollow Nation keeps the pace and heaviness at the forefront with a hard hitting blend of crushing riffs, haunting orchestration, and an evocative narrative exploring emotional isolation and existential desolation in a futuristic void. Structurally interesting and exciting, the chorus is great, the verses rain fire and there are lots of transitions. Switches in vocal tones, cleans in choruses and plenty more. The echo on the vocals int he chorus, the rapid fire switching from deep growls to higher shouts along with the theme of the track screams Scar Symmetry in a good way.
Buried Realm deliver one of the very best tracks on The Dormant Darkness next with Human Code. It is an energetic anthem of a track with a nice balance between intensity and technicality. The drums are insane – they have been impressive throughout. This is a song that will please any fan of melodeath, helped also by the excellent vocals of the one and only, Björn Strid. The driving lead guitars are awesome and the chorus is catchy as hell. I really like how Björn and Josh intertwine their vocals and the main solo is excellent, moving through many phases and just forcing your head to move.
A Futile Endeavor keeps the pace up with some serious energy but uses melody as more of a driving force. The drums and riffs still deliver plenty of power but with an undertone of quite a haunting melodic lilt. The mixing of vocal tone still adds so much to the freshness of each track and I must say, Josh’s vocals are absolutely superb. The chorus is catchier then it has any right to be in yet another absolute banger.
Where the Armless Phantoms Glide, Pt. II is up next and shows a big dollop of additional creativity with a melodeath song that stretches beyond the genre into a more cinematic and grander vision. At it’s heart, it’s still a strong and heavy melodic death metal track delivering verses of intense power and aggression. But then there is just more. Helped by Björn Strid’s emotive vocals, Heikki’s relentless drumming, and Francesco’s atmospheric orchestration, you feel tension, a touch of grandeur all mixed with the raw intensity. Structurally it excites, twisting, turning and transforming around you with mesmerising lead guitars and a phenomenal solo too.
Once you have caught your breath after that, The Dormant Darkness continues with Ophidian Dreams. Buried Realm create a darker world here with a heavily atmospheric song helped by impressive electronic and orchestrated highlights. The foundation of insane riffs and drums, screaming leads and emotive soling still carries us through this instrumental. A track chock full of progressive elements and transformations as it becomes almost unbearably weighty as the waves of guitars riffs and drums fill you up and threaten to explode. Just as you reach the precipice, it settles allowing you to catch your breath and, like I did, probably exclaim “wow”.
The penultimate track is Jaws of the Abyss and is a collaboration with the legendary Christian Älvestam. Driven by a perfectly suited synth melody, the intro is catchy as hell, before it settles into the darker, heavier side with the drums kicking up through the gears and the riffs driving us towards the abyss. As Buried Realm have shown so far, creative ideas and transitions are never far away and the chorus, cleanly sung with a mellow melody and steady beat showcases a really strong partnership in Älvestam and the band.
It’s really catchy, I love the quick pick riffing under the chorus vocals. I adore the combinations of heavy vocals and cleans. The riffs are fire, the drums fiery – this track delivers a lot – a bit of an “everything but the kitchen sink” track but it works and works well making it fly by in seconds and push Human Code close when it comes to personal favourite tracks on The Dormant Darkness.
Speaking of which, the album closes out with the title track, The Dormant Darkness. Featuring the guitar wizardry of Gus G., additional vocals from Christian Älvestam, and contributions from friends and fans, the track culminates in a celebration of Buried Realm’s journey to date. Expect the same level of quality as exists across the whole of this album as we close out on a song that drives hard with energy and passion. Punchy riffs, driving leads and intense drumming leads us through. Gus G blazes away on the lead guitar while we bang our heads closing the door an an excellent slab of music.
Fans of melodic death metal are in for a real treat with The Dormant Darkness. Those who don’t care for the genre (weird) will still find a lot to love here on Buried Realm’s new album. It’s just a really strong, energetic and powerful metal album delivering massive riffs, powerful leads, intense drumming and impressive vocals. Combined then with the expertise of icons of our time, you are in for a real treat. There is a feel of a celebration of melodeath here and I love that. I guess that is helped also by the guests but you hear Buried Realm’s influences throughout. Touches of At The Gates, of Soilwork, of Scar Symmetry, of In Flames but never copies, just influences. Buried Realm are their own thing, with their own edge and The Dormant Darkness showcases that perfectly.
Tracklist:
Bloodline Artifice
Futuristic Hollow Nation
Human Code
A Futile Endeavor
Where the Armless Phantoms Glide, Pt. II
Ophidian Dreams
Jaws of the Abyss
The Dormant Darkness
Buried Realm Links
Website – Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter (X) – YouTube – Spotify – Apple Music – Amazon Music
Author
Buried Realm - The Dormant Darkness (Self Released)
By Artist: Buried Realm
Album name: The Dormant Darkness
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The Final Score - 9/10
9/10
