Review by criscool623 on January 6, 2024.

Since I found out Dust Bold, I was not totally convinced with their music. It was ok, but I felt it lacked something to be interesting enough to be able to "compete" with other "new school" thrash bands out there (I know that music is not about competition, but I think that a little effort is needed to make attractive enough music to draw people's attention), and I think that is basically the main reason why I ignored this band for so long. In this time of quarantine, I finally decided to listen to them with more detail (taking advantage that the album had no reviews), and what do you think? I finally figured out why such a thing happened.

I'm totally convinced that it's easier to write a review from either a good or a bad album. If there are things that you hate, it's easiest to list the reasons why an album is repellent for you. On the other side, if you like an album enough, it will be easy to say the things that attracted you. This is not the case with "Trapped in Chaos", and let me explain myself.

I listened to this album about four times and I couldn't find anything that called my attention enough to highlight it. The instruments are ok, the sound and the production is excellent, but I think that is the least that you wait in a metal album at these times (more from first-world countries like Germany). The sound is good, but the music is empty. It has nothing to highlight nor to hate (excepting a pair of things that I will explain better below), and for me, that is the worst that can happen to an artist. Art is supposed to cause feelings, and pitifully, this is not the case with "Trapped in Chaos".

There are some interesting ideas. I felt that the band tried to incorporate more melodic stuff in their music (something notorious since the very first song's chorus), but this is not explored beyond in all the album. The most remarkable song in this aspect is "Another Day in Hell", as in addition that it's the most different song in all the album, it takes advantage of the melodic stuff it has to make a depressive and kind of dark atmosphere. but overall, the ideas are scarce and the album feels with no life.

There are not interesting riffs. They are very repetitive and it makes that the songs feel no special between each other. They are not necessarily bad, but I repeat, they neither are good, and there is nothing remarkable in them.

However, there are some other things that I genuinely hated. The vocals are flat. Totally inexpressive. Lenny Bruce's vocal style is plane, and as the album goes on, it becomes more boring and frustrating. Moreover, although most of the songs are not special at all, I really hated "Rhythm to My Madness"; If you are a guitar player, you will notice how simple is the main riff, just playing D, E and F repeatedly with little variations.

In the end, this is "Trapped in Chaos", an insipid and forgettable album in its majority with some other bad things that will make worse the experience of listening to it. The only song that I recommend is the last one, but apart from it, avoid it. I hope the band make something better in a future.

Rating: 3.5 out of 10

Review by Carl on January 6, 2024.

The album's title translates as "Cold Hatred", and that is exactly what you get on this album by one of Holland's oldest black metal bands. As if you didn't already suspect that by looking at the stark black and white cover art of this album.

The band has successfully transferred the sound of 90's black metal to this release. The temperature takes a severe drop when opener "When the Funeral Winds Cry for Revenge" kicks in, with its icy tremelo picked guitar riffing, seething velocity and ravenous rasping vocals. Comparisons with the early works of Krieg, Darkthrone, Immortal, Marduk and Enthroned are certainly valid, and Funeral Winds fits well with these bands. The tracks are for most part played at a fierce black metal tempo, but avoid monotony by letting go of the accelerator at times, providing the music with some welcome stomp, but also by incorporating subtle nuances into some of the tracks. Take "Soul Harvest", that gets a dose of thrash influence woven through it, and "Dawn of the Bestial Bloodshed" gets a wink to Hellhammer worked in. As a whole, the black metal on offer radiates aggression and malice, with an execution that is well above average, as evidenced by the bass guitar licks in "The Wicked Are the Wise", but also by the superb percussion throughout. And as every self respecting black horde would, Funeral Mist keeps window dressing such as keyboards and female vocals far out of the door.

The production is a good deal above average as well, not just for a black metal release, but in general. The instruments are all audible and balanced out, and the soundmix gives the percussion and the bass the place to shine, so to speak. It never deteriorates into a formless mush, and the album stays sharp and focussed on delivering a dose of varied and malicious black metal, that exudes dread and darkness throughout.

This is a mandatory release for all who still swear by the sounds that were brought forth by the Scandinavian hordes in the 90's. It sounds evil and abrasive, while delivering quality black metal that might not be the most original, but makes up for that with precision and atmosphere throughout.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10