ALBUM REVIEW: A Fine Game Of Nil – Damim
London based death metallers DAMIM have been plying their craft for two decades now and have been criminally overlooked for round and about the same amount of time. However, following their recent signing with the record label Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings they are gearing up to release their third full length album A Fine Game Of Nil following a twelve year absence from the studio and are looking to take their particular brand of blackened death metal to a wider audience going forward.
Album opener In A Language They Understand is a sure fire way to grab the attention of the listener. The thick distorted guitar lines of Edd Amos and Nathaniel Underwood rumble over the top of the hectic drum work by Flow Toulman to create a hellacious concoction of blackened death metal. What makes the song sound even more visceral and unchained is the production. The mix is raw and relatively unpolished which giving a much more dangerous feel like the classic KREATOR album Pleasure To Kill or MORBID ANGEL‘s Altars Of Madness. It is also worth noting at this point that unlike many releases of this ilk the bass guitar from Faust Perez is not lost in the mix and provides the low end support that the overall sound of this album relies heavily on. In the latter stages of the track Amos lays down a fine, high paced guitar solo to stick an exclamation point on what is a fine album opener.
The following track Descendant Of Amalek slows the pace slightly without sacrificing any of the power and aggression that was accrued in the previous song which is apparent from the very first line “I hope you never find peace.” The drums pick up the pace pretty early on and once again drive the song forward with their almost mechanical sound, linking up the solid bass line of Perez to lay the foundation that this brand of music requires. The sparing use of clean vocals are used in a fantastic way with Underwood using his singing voice almost interludes between his death metal growls during the verses adding a much leader layer of melody to proceedings and showcasing the impressive versatility of his vocal work.
The fifth song on A Fine Game Of Nil, NecroKino is stylistic shift that comes at the perfect time, serving the album wonderfully with regards to breaking up the death metal onslaught and allowing the listener to come up for air. The atmospherics used in the first half of the track show a progressive metal sensibility that DAMIM have seldom shown before and hopefully it is one that they explore a little more thoroughly in the future. When the band shift gears at the mid point of the track the aggression gets dialled back up to their usual death metal style with lashings of CRADLE OF FILTH-esque guitar leads thrown in to add another dimension to the melody. Meanwhile, penultimate song Existential Epiphany Within A Waking Dream conjures up another surprise. The soft, tranquil arrangement of the stringed instruments blends the progressive metal influences of the band with folk elements to create something that truly stands as a testament to just how flexible and dynamic DAMIM can be as song writers.
Overall, A Fine Game Of Nil is an excellent way for DAMIM to step out of the shadows and take their forward-thinking death metal to the wider world where they deserve to be. They have shown great depth to their song writing and have proven over the course of A Fine Game Of Nil that they are not only capable of keeping the listener’s attention, but also their imagination as they shift styles so seamlessly.
Rating: 8/10
A Fine Game Of Nil is set for release June 28th via Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings.
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