Taketh
Ignorance is Strength
10 Track Album
To be released 1st September 2013
Taketh – Göteborg
Sweden
Links:
Recorded and mixed by: Magnus "Devo" Andersson at Endarker
Studios [Marduk, Ofermod, Eldkraft, Ragnarok]
Artwork by: Dmitry Vtorushyn [Death Destruction, Transport League]
Discography
2005: Freakshow [Fear Dark Records]
2008: Minus 24 [Independent, digital only]
2013: Ignorance is strength [Independent]
Genre: Old School
Melodic Death Metal
Biography:
Taketh started with two acoustic guitars in
the air traffic controller tower on the Military base in Linköping in 2000.
Between watching the skies, David and Mikael started writing some songs and
with the joining of David’s brother Johan, there was a band.
After playing
the local scenes for a few years, along with a couple of ventures outside
Linköping, Taketh secured a record
deal with Dutch label Fear Dark Records. The debut album Freak show was released
in 2005, and followed up with a tour with Eluveitie in 2006, now with new
guitar player Atahan.
A three track
EP called "Minus 24" was recorded and released in 2008, but due to
babies and new jobs, the band chose to take a break.
A local
festival brought the band back in 2011, and with the addition of Johan
Ejnarsson, the guys felt they had a solid line-up and material to go on. Plans
for a second album was started, and in October 2012 Taketh entered Endarker Studios for the third time. In 15 intense
days, "Ignorance is strength"
was born.
After much
discussion, the band decided to forego the traditions of releasing through a
label, and started planning for something more modern. A creative commons
licensed release, enabling free sharing, remixing and derivative works.
Moving On
I particularly
love the keyboard opening to this as it is extremely addictive and compelling. An immense track showing great use of
harmonies and bristling with high octane melodies. It is very aggressive as it
is thrilling with emotive forces at work. It captivates the listener from the
start of its epic encounter, although the softer vocal content lessens the
intensity but the lyrics save it from being a total flop, the keyboards make
this track what it is and certainly one of the favourites on the album.
We are Slaves
A totally
dynamic track that flourishes and bristles with an energetic force of sheer
melodic power. It courses through the veins as well as the speakers and is
awash with addictive and unrelenting barbarity. The vocals sounding gnarly and
jagged really add to this vibrantly flavoured track.
Your Master
Solid and
unyielding it has compelling tendencies to grab your attention and engages with
eager ears. Although I am not really sure about the forced clean vocal that
ushers forth, as they sound out of tune but the harmonies are toned and cascade
through it.
In Memory
The melodic
forces are at work again and really carry the track to a solid foundation on
which to build a superb offering. The coarse vocals ambush the listener and
invoke a destructive quality that is captured within the essence of the
track.
Burning
A track
denoting rebellion and defiance showing not only lyrically but musically but
possessing a superb melody as with all the Taketh
songs. Bristling with an immense gait its energy sprawling far beyond any
horizon and driven by a sheer thirst to be noticed and encased in amazing
melodic flurries of grandeur.
Flaws
A ravenous
savagery presents itself within this track, deliciously melodic, however the
forced vocal is in my opinion are a real ‘flaw’ as they do not do the track any
favours at all and so it would have been better to have had the gnarly harsh
vocal more dominant in the track which would have tightened it up and given it
a more aggressive stance.
Innocent Again
Interesting
jagged rhythms make this enticing and engaging.
Its raucous slurry of melodic grooves take an uncompromising breath and
has the listener reaching for the volume control in order to savour every
moment. Outstanding track!
1984
Pummelling to
an inch of its life this brews up some intense moments with a gravelly harsh
vocal presence. It ravages the aural with an abrasive breath and satisfies its
anger with a channelled aggression that dips slightly to reveal a superb
quality melodic moment, another outstanding track.
Inside of me
A torrent of
energy is unleashed within this track and gives off a malevolent hard edge coupled
with insatiable grooves. The forced vocal anger is warranted here and so not as
annoying as was on the previous tracks and not out of tune adding well into the
mix of savage melodic beauty.
Mind Numbing Crap
Mutated rhythms
are plentiful here and opens the door to a hot wired furnace of face melting
riffs and is nothing short of superb! However the forced vocal does not work on
this track for me – but spoils it somewhat, (although the
extreme vocals do) musically superb showing precision strings and carved beats in abundance.
To Sum up:
This would be a
perfect album if it were not for that forced vocal it really gives off a
‘cheesy’ vibe to a few of the tracks but musically it is without a doubt
insatiable and well worth further exploration. I do have my favourite tracks
such as ‘Innocent Again’ and ‘1984’ are the tracks I am most drawn to but no
doubt on further listening I will make a few more favourites as it grows on me.
It is certainly
not a bad album at all and holds a lot of interesting and monumental moments
that has in turn given out some insatiable moments of melodic groove and that is
always a winner amongst metal-heads, but guys please lose the frightful forced
vocal encounters (as on ‘Your Master’) as they do not hold well within the
track at all and in places sounds extremely out of tune!
9/10
Track List:
Moving on
We are slaves
Your master
In memory
Burning
Flaws
Innocent again
1984
Inside of me
Mind numbing crap
Members:
David Dahl - Vocals
Mikael Lindquist - Bass
Johan Dahl - Drums
Atahan Tolunay - Guitar
Johan Ejnarsson - Guitar
