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Darkwater: Human
Darkwater - Human Music Review

Darkwater: Human

Melodic/Progressive/Power Metal
5.0/5.0

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Ulterium Records
Released: 01.03.2019
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 27.02.2019

Once more we have to ask, Where have they been all these years? The last studio album we had from Sweden's Darkwater was 2010's Where Stories End. On the strength of that album, the band hit the festival circuit performing at ProgPower USA, ProgPower Europe, Brainstorm Festival, among many others. Now the band returns with their long awaited, nine years in the making third album, Human.

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Darkwater

To bring you up to speed, if you've forgotten about Darkwater, the band plays a fine combination melodic, progressive, and power metal. Often times they remind me of a mixture of Kamelot, Seventh Wonder, and some of the dark edges of Evergrey. If there is anything signature to the Darkwater sound, it's the depth and breadth of their song composition, which embraces and combines melody, harmony, and groove with diverse musical parts and skillful musicianship. Notable within many songs is a developed piano melody and line blended with symphonic synths. Ever present is also some fine and fiery guitar solos. Vocalist Henrik Båth has a voice that can range from smooth and subtle to deliberate and passionate. The result of these things are songs which are equally engaging, entertaining, and intriguing. While clocking in at nearly 76 minutes, I was never bored with Human.

To highlight a few songs, for songs diverse in their parts listen for A New Beginning, the lengthy Reflection Of A Mind, or Insomnia, for example. The latter song develops from sharp guitars and a big drum beat from the rhythm section before getting heavy with riffs and a marching tempo. Underneath the piano line lingers, and later synth and guitar duel in solos. The Journey has something of a foreboding quality in its heaviness as it pursues thick power metal dropping in symphonic synths with both guitar and synth solos again. With Light Of Dawn (among other songs) you get Darkwater's trademark juxtaposition of lighter and heavier parts. Yet you'll also hear some fine bass groove throughout. Then about three-quarters in a guitar solo rises, only to flow into an almost jazz fusion-like segue with piano before the guitar solo rises again. That is some good stuff, demonstrating Darkwater's musical creativity.

All said, Darkwater's Human is another fine album of melodic progressive metal from this impressive and quite talented band. Hopefully we won't have to wait nine years for their fourth album. Easily recommended.



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The Bottom Line

Darkwater's Human is another fine album of melodic progressive metal from this impressive and quite talented band. Hopefully we won't have to wait nine years for their fourth album. Easily recommended.

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