Sympathy

Item: Invocation
Author: Marco Povervest

Invocation

(2002)

Reviewed by Marco Povervest

Discogs Bandcamp

Label Fear Dark RecordsArt for the Ears2002

black metal death metal progressive metal

Sympathy, I feel, needs some introduction. It's another one man band consisting of this obscure person Dharok. He's been active in the extreme metal for more than a decade. His first demo appeared in 1992. Invocation is his third full length and the first with support from a label. Now, you might be prejudiced about a one man band. Is this guy able to deliver a great album alone? Can a guy play all these instruments, sing, and even produce it? Well, he did a much better job than I expected. This is the seventh release from Fear Dark and most likely their best so far. I tell you why. You can hear technical death metal with black metal influences. You can hear frantical rhythms and speeds while maintaining a tightness that requires a lot of skill from the musician. You might hear some touches of Tourniquet and Extol but I also have to think of Cannibal Corpse. The keyboards used aren't dominant, yet they enhance the songs greatly. Amidst all aggression there is also a piano interlude called Prelude And Tocatta In E Minor followed by Christus Factus Est where the soprano Angel does the lead vocals. But then the slaughter continues with the furious Immolation Of The Dragon. If you like extreme metal, you don't wanna miss this one!