Daarchlea - Suns

Daarchlea is one of those bands that use elements that Metalheads are used to, elements that are familiar to the senses of those who dabble in such music yet are able to create something different. On the surface, one could easily throw names like Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir or to a certain extent, Emperor to describe the music played by this band.


While from their past releases there is a slight tinge of Middle Eastern scales in the music, the music on Suns barely has that but move on closer to the modern Black/Death sound, but with light clean vocals sprinkled on top. What is interesting about this band, and made them slightly different from their peers is that the band has decided to use Islamic themes and imagery in Suns.


From the lyrics, touching about creation from an Islamic perspective, to Islamic theology on Qhilav, the band was able to pull it off without feeling as if being forced fed while reading the lyrics or listening to the tracks. Everything is done in a semi-vague manner that uses Arabic terms, giving a sort of exotic feel, like the first time I read lyrcis by Norwegian bands who uses terms from Norse Mythology or how Anaal Nathrakh uses legal terms of Latin origin.

One may say it’s the band’s shtick. Considering how Islam plays a huge role in the daily affairs of a Malay-Muslim in Malaysia, this whole image is honest. In fact, as a non-religious man myself, I would say that this pretty bad ass.

Last I recalled, Malaysia wasn't as cold as Norway.

Since this isn’t an anthropology paper, let’s get back to the record. What struck me most is how every single element is represented greatly in the songs. Firstly, the vocal range by vocalist Al-Matin (Which actually translates to “The King” in French. I have no idea if he knows it though), is amazing. He could pull off deep growls that could very well fit in a Cattle Decapitation record and you could easily hear the words he enunciates. This isn’t some random growls that you could throw in a not figure out the words even when not reading the lyrics.


On the flip side of the coin, the Black Metal influence on the shrieks were done in a tasteful manner, that does not sounds like an annoying Dani Filth but sound closer to what Ihsahn pulled off in Anthems. To me, it was sort of surprising considering the band claimed to have Cradle of Filth as an influence in past interviews. While Nergal could be cited as an influence, none of the vocals were the mid-range bark that Nergal has.


As mentioned above, there were clean vocals here but don’t expect deep operatic vocals like Dimmu Borgir but you can expect vocals that are pseudo-calming like Ulver’s Bergtatt but used in a manner that wants to be operatic. The guitars were crisps clear and the modern production definitely helped a lot here. Every single riff had a purpose the transition between haunting guitar tremolos that they pulled off from a Norwegian Black Metal textbook really shines in between the modern Death Metal punches.


The Death Metal riffs aren’t the old school semi-thrash sounding riffs or even the New York, slam inducing riffs but its closer to the more to the straight up modern Death Metal of Kataklysm. There are NO GUITAR SOLOS here but who says you need guitar solos to create good extreme Metal? The riffs here are amazing enough that I don’t have much to complain.


However at one or two times the band sounds as if they were about to transition into a breakdown, making me fear that all that amazing energy accumulated might just go to waste. Then again, that is just a minor gripe and my bad experience of listening to the multitude of Deathcore clones that just doesn’t try to be different from one another.


Another thing that was ringing through my mind is that I wish the band has the bass cranked up higher. The bass here just sounds as if was a hitchhiker along with the ride. Like any traveller, he might have something interesting to say but at the end of the day he is not in the driver’s seat.

Daarchlea @ Rock The World '13. Sort of like a Malaysian Soundwave or Download Festival where bands of various genres play here so there will be Metal bands like Daarchlea thrown into the mix.

This is all layered by amazing drumming that uses the double pedals sparingly but has a knack of using the snare as every good Black Metal band should. The drum rolls to transition from part to another were amazingly connected that it felt like glue. If it weren’t present, the parts would just sound jarring and might fall apart. A lot of bands just skip the transition and expect that two drum beats could connect, and expect the band to just go on.


There are times it could work, say when the band is trying to pull off a surprise tempo change, just like how Cephalic Carnage does from time to time but a band that tries to put glue to different parts, will have to realize that you do need an adhesive, and that adhesive are those amazing drum rolls. Kudos on that.  


On the keyboards, yes keyboards. This is where the Cradle of Filth or Hecate Enthroned influenced comes in. Not only the keyboards replace the orchestra, they add a whole different atmosphere when the Death Metal sets in. It turns it from the conventional Death Metal to the soundtrack of a decapitator in medieval dungeons. Though I’m sure that is no what the band wants you to imagine with their lyrical themes but that is how it sounds like. The piano at times takes the leads and becomes the driving narrative.


On tracks like Qhilav, the piano sets up the battlefield before the battery charges in, creating that mystical feel, almost Goth-like set up. To add another twist to the band’s style, the piano takes it’s time to shine when all the other instruments are set to rest for a minute and gets accompanied by the sound of a Kompang in the instrumental track, Ascend to Arasy.


Kompang for the uninitiated is a Malaysian folk instrument that is similar to a tambourine with Arab origins, normally played during weddings.


I could assume that in future albums the band would add more of the Malaysian influence into the music.

#Hornthrone
Check out Daarchlea playing Suns in it's entirety on the 27th. Don't forget to stop by.

By the end of the record, it will dawn to you that this is a great example of a great modern sounding album. Everything is glued together without sounding so jarring. While many bands decide to combine various genre to create something unique this band combines the genres to make something that feels familiar on the surface but then later on closer inspection shows something slightly different.


The tone, or probably the musical “accent” that the band has, gives the band identity. I remember a while back in an interview that Mirai of Sigh said that them speaking Japanese 24/7 probably have accidently led to the band putting in their accents or the more melodic elements of the Japanese language into their song writing elements.


That probably made the band sound different from their other Black Metal peers. Daarchlea’s Suns, just like the amazing Malaysian record, Langsuyr’s Asyik has accidentally added the tone, the accents of the language or elements they pick up in life. It sounds Malaysian, it has the musical feel of a Malay-Muslim musical heritage and that is probably what made Daarchlea sound different from the rest. Get it for excellent Malaysian Black/Death Metal.

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