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Stigma: When Midnight Strikes Grindcore, Melodic Death Metal Pivotal Rockordings March 17th, 2008
- Also features the music video for "I Amm Dracula" Originally posted on March 25th, 2010 | |||
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Review
Stigma may appear like a band that seems to follow the standards of the new Deathcore style and sound, but really they are much more then that. While Stigma does utilize breakdowns, the group is actually more a mix between Melodic Death Metal and Grindcore, and for their debut full length When Midnight Strikes, they manage to create a very brutal, yet often catchy, solid release deeply rooted in horror themes. While the sound isn't all that original and has shades of such well known acts as The Black Dahlia Murder and At The Gates, there's still enough here to give this album it's own unique sound that works very well with the b-movie nightmarish themes. The lead single off the album, "I Am Dracula", which is also featured on this release with the music video as a bonus feature, is actually not really one of the better tracks on the album. Granted the song is heavy and helps to set the overall brutal tone of the album, but it's rather bland when compared to some of the other material on here. The following tracks really do put this song to shame thanks to the more melodic guitars and drumming that adds enough intensity to the mix to make the music really stand out and sound menacing. Yes, the breakdowns in this album kick in at the track "Silver Bullets and Burning Crosses" but at least they provide some structure to the release and aren't a random guitar chord repeated while the drummer taps a cymbol every three seconds for to compose a third of the song. The band's real talent doesn't show up until "The Be Really Dead... That Must Be Glorious!", which is a great song, but you wouldn't know it until the very well suiting and impressive guitar solo and group chants at the end as the song fades out. Sadly, after that the music is not as impressive. Yes it's still good, but many of the songs just don't seem to pack the same kick. Horror fans will be happy during many of the tracks due to the lyrics, and also during "Beneath the Crown of Eternal Light" thanks to the Evil Dead sample. This isn't the only track to feature sound clips from horror films, as they also appear in "Walpurghis Night", "Sons of Midnight", and others as well. "A Call for Vengeance" is an entertaining song that seems to have a slightly odd strucure to it, as well as shifts the tempo quite often. "Walking the Fields of Apocalypse" is another good track on here just because of it's intensity and how the song hammers away at you from the start. The only track on here that really doesn't work out would be the track "Blood, Your Precious Blood!!" which is a solid song, but tends to feel repetative after a while. And let's not forget that this release also comes with some bonus materials. The bonus song "Epitaph of Pain" is actually a remixed version of the song that came from the band's 2005 demo of the same name. The sad thing is that this song will leave you feeling a little bitter as it's actually better then a good chunk of the material on here. You also have the music video for "I Am Dracula" which is just a nice piece to have if you happen to be near a computer that can read Enhanced CDs. While When Midnight Strikes is a far cry from an original release, the band manages to make still make it their own and incorporate a breath of uniqueness to a sound that has started to suffocate. Stigma have put together a solid release with plenty of highly enjoyable tracks, with very few that could easily be dismissed or forgotten. The addition of the bonus track "Epitaph of Pain", as well as the video for "I Am Dracula" are nice additions that make this pressing of the album all the more worth picking up. If you do have the opportunity to check out Stigma, you definately should, as this is one act that may be worth keeping an eye on.
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