Phinehas - Dark Flag Review

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Concise Summary:

Well, wow. I didn't expect this album. I thought this album was going to be a style continuation of Phinehas's previous albums, and that was re-enforced by the three preview songs that were released for Dark Flag. I was pretty wrong. Dark Flag really plays out like a dark, sad story, not just a hardcore metal album like Till The End. From what I've heard, Dark Flag's main theme is about people both past and present living in oppression under totalitarian rule (like in Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, North Korea, etc.), and wow it delivers that theme very powerfully. As usual, the guitars and drums are very good, and on this album, Sean McCulloch seems like he really stepped up his game, because his vocals are nothing short of amazing. However, there is not much of a bass mix on the album, which feels really weird. Also, the guitars are ultra-processed (that or Daniel Gailey has some kind of super-human ability to immediately mute strings after he picks them). Apart from those kind of minor gripes, where this album really shines for me is in the lyrical content. The very thought-provoking lyrics combined with the unique blend of musical styles and instruments really drives home a powerful point about the horrors of totalitarian rule - a very relevant concept with the tension that has been occurring between the United States and North Korea lately. Overall, I really like this album even though the approach is really weird at times - it's very unique.

My Rating: 9 out of 10 


Highlights:
  • Brilliant, powerful, and relevant lyrics, probably the best I've heard this year 
  • Very unique blend of musical styles and instruments
  • Incredible vocals 
  • Awesome guitars, as usual
Lowlights:
  • I'm still bamboozled about the organization of songs, perhaps a few more listens through will clear that up
  • The mix is.... weird.... it's not bad, but there's hardly any bass, which is unusual. 
  • The Arduous March is an AMAZING build-up interlude, but then Meaningless Names doesn't go hard right away, which confuses me.... I have mixed feelings about that.
Favorite Songs:
  • Dark Flag
  • I Saw the Bombs Fall
  • Hell Below
  • Meaningless Names
  • Know Death; Know Forever
  • The Arduous March
More Info:

Phinehas Facebook

Phinehas Twitter

Phinehas Official

Phinehas Wikipedia 

Comments

  1. A.J. SpaudeNovember 28, 2017 at 11:22 AM

    Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @BPMetalReviews to stay updated on the latest reviews!

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