Review by Jack on November 15, 2001.

Overdone is Midnight Sun's biggest fault. They suffer heavily from being overly metal. Five of the ten songs contain the word 'metal' or 'steel' ('Metal Gods', 'Dungeons of Steel', 'Steel to Steel', 'Metal Machine' and 'Metal Will Stand Tall'). Midnight Sun try so hard to be metal warriors and with "Metal Machine" as their flagship, they ultimately fall a tad short of the mark.

"Metal Machine" is in no way a bad album, and there is some great material that Midnight Sun write on "Metal Machine". The title track 'Metal Machine' contains a great chorus and some imaginative guitar work. And there a few nice ballads like tracks scattered throughout "Metal Machine". The opener; 'Metal Gods' kicks off with a killer opening that is heavily drum based and contains some great pounding of the skins.

The real problem with "Metal Machine" is that it is pretty bland. You are not going to find any tunes on here that you won't be able find by any other similar power metal bands starting with 'M'. That is a big problem for Midnight Sun. Why would someone wish to buy their material, when they can find a very similar artist with very similar material. It is a shame that Midnight Sun are just one of hundreds of similar power metal bands, but that's the reality and I can't really find anything overly unique within their 'cheesy' brand of metal to give a glowing recommendation. But by no mean is "Metal Machine" a bad album, however it's just another little fish in a big wide ocean of similar fish.

Bottom Line: Ultimately Midnight Sun are a good power metal band, who suffer from playing a generic brand of metal. There are far too many power metal bands out there, some better than Midnight Sun and some not. This factor alone makes it difficult to recommend "Metal Machine".

Rating: 6 out of 10

Review by Nick on June 8, 2008.

Having never heard of Incrave prior to this review, I had no idea what to expect from "Dead End", the latest offering by these young Swedes. Gauging from the cover artwork and the band’s Swedish pedigree, I prepared myself for some death metal, perhaps along the lines of Dismember or "Wolverine Blues"-era Entombed. Suffice to say, I was wrong.

"Dead End" is power metal, and powerful power metal. The opening track, Shattered, is a very well-crafted piece of Scandinavian metal. It’s apparent within the first minute that these guys have talent, vision and originality. Shattered is a mature song from a relatively young band, complemented by a strong lyrical approach, above-average vocals and a healthy chunk of style.

The Forgotten and A Shadow in the Dark are two very competent tracks, similar in scope to their predecessor. The musicianship in both songs is exceptional, providing yet another testament to the strength of the Swedish music scene, in both talent and significance. Another aspect that really highlights the maturity of this band is the refusal to inundate their songs with unnecessary keyboard interludes. The keys are used sparingly and add a perfect amount of lushness and atmosphere.

The mood is shifted to a slightly darker place with the onset of The Touch of Death. Where many albums start to lose their intensity and originality, "Dead End" moves from aggressive to assaulting. The Touch of Darkness is raw without being primitive, and compelling without being abrasive. Vocalist Johan Falk sounds like a younger Dirk Thurisch of Angel Dust, displaying a sharp ability and range behind the mic. The band surrounding him is obviously very talented, but their most definitive asset is the moderation and restraint that they exude. There is no virtuoso here, just quality and catchy metal.

Unveil The Death treads down the same darkened path that The Touch of Death traversed while Shades of Me spins "Dead End" in yet another direction. Shades is an imaginative song, incorporating piano and innovative keyboards into the somber mix. An Empty Soul propels things forward with quickness and ferocity, destroying anything in its path.

Scream to Silence showcases some of the best vocals on "Dead End", while the guitar blisters and burns. The keyboard melody is straight out of a Norwegian black metal intro, complete with the fierce frigidity and isolated feeling. No inverted crosses and flaming churches here, though. Incrave defiles with their music, not their imagery.

The album comes to a close with Nevermore and the title track, Dead End. Nevermore is just brutal, providing the tightest and most vivid selection on the album. Everything that "Dead End" hinted upon previously culminates at Nevermore. The last track, Dead End, is another furious and inspired cut, albeit not as impressive as Nevermore. "Dead End" reintroduces many of the qualities that were apparent in the first half of the album, including thick choruses and guitars dripping with juice.

My first experience with Incrave ends up being a very enjoyable and unexpected journey. The album is innovative, unique, vicious, and eloquent. If "Dead End" is any indication of what Incrave has in store for the future, this is a band to watch, even amongst the hordes of stellar metal artists in Sweden.


Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 8
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.2 out of 10