Starting in 2003 in Atlanta, the band self-released their debut album Futility on their own before getting signed onto Roadrunner Records. Daath has been positioned as Roadrunner's hot new signing and re-entry into the extreme metal genre. A lot of hype, and hyperbole has been used up to describe this band. The band has been called everything from Avant-garde to industrial metal.

So what is this band all about ? Do they deserve the hype surrounding them or is it all a part of the usual Roadrunner pre album release hoopla ?

Well, sadly, Daath does not really live up to expectations. Take every form of extreme metal thats been popular over the last five years; say Swedish melodic death metal, Dimmu Borgir style symphonic black metal and Strapping Young Lad styled industrial metal. Now, put all three in a blender and the resulting cocktail will give you a rough idea of what Daath does.

Case in point is the song Illuminator. Starting off with a Strapping Young Lad style riff, the band moves onto some really lame sampled drum sounds, some even lamer synth sounds and riffs that you know you've heard before. Now, I don't have a problem with bands throwing in different styles of music into their sound. Some of my favourite bands do just that, but when you're ripping off At The Gates, SYL and Dimmu Borgir song after song, things get a little tiring. Dead On The Dancefloor's use of electronica is embarrassing to say the least and again this is something that bands like Front Line Assembly did in the 90s. Inversion starts off sounding like a SYL song before going off into some really generic metalcore riffing and then on to some At The Gates and The Haunted style riffing and finally a melodic guitar harmony part that reeks of Euro-metal and it's not that great a part either. There isn't a hint of originality on these songs. Blessed Through Misery has hints of Euro metal again particularly in the lead guitar section and the ending where the band sound a little like Evergrey. Everything here has been done before by far superior bands.

I must say that the production on this album is terrific and serves as a good smoke screen to hide the fact that Daath is doing absolutely nothing new and the songs aren't all that great.

Still, being an unoriginal extreme metal band is hardly cause for a death sentence and the band are very competent musicians. I just wish they'd written better songs. I think Roadrunner is counting on kids who are buying into the current trend of metalcore to be same ones to buy into Daath (maybe even as their ticket to the metal underground). Now, don't be surprised if, the next time you meet your baggy pant and wallet chain wearing friend he talks to you about this great new underground band called Daath. Seriously, don't believe the hype.

I'm sorry that this review isn't very objective and it's turned into more of a rant but honestly, this is unoriginal, insipid music and the sort of metal that really pisses me off.

Label - Roadrunner

Year Of Release - 2007