Darker Half - Never Surrender

Published July 26 2014

*=Staff's pick	Nemesis Never Surrender End Of The Line Stranger* As Darkness Fades* Duality Blinded By Darkness Lost In Space Heads Are Gonna Roll Anthem For A Doomed Youth*

Genre	Heavy Metal	Vo Simpson	Vocals
Tracks	10	Vo Simpson	Guitar
Running time	54 Min.	Brad Dickson	Guitar
Label	Self-released/FullBlast PR	Simon Hamilton	Bass
Release	10 June 2014	Dominic Simpson	Drums
Country	Australia	-	Keyboard
Producer	---
Similar artists	---

Australian unit Darker Half's third album and I can't recall ever hearing of these guys before. This record includes, generally speaking, pretty much traditional heavy metal with a few elements of power metal. I nevertheless miss a more powerful overall production, which could have taken this record to higher levels, since the riffs would have come out stronger with a more suitable and pulverizing force behind them, the way I see it. Perhaps I shouldn't ask for more though, considering that this evidently is a self-released product, where the financial situation probably is what it is.

Vo Simpson's pretty youthful voice has a certain lack of massive strength, but I see it as pretty natural on top of the music anyway. The actual songs have their attractive moments and even though there is a lack of frequently hitting material, there certainly are a number of songs which I however find rather appealing and specifically the track which they conclude this album with, Anthem For A Doomed Youth. A decent metal album, with its valleys and pits, that would have turned out greater if the sound picture would have been more cracking.

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
6	4	3	6	6

Summary
5 chalices of 10 - Tobbe