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Band: Weak
Album title: Dark Desires
Release date: 11 September 2015
Label: Woodhouse Records
Tracklist:
01. Wolfmoon
02. Jede Nacht
03. Into The Night
04. Don't Farewell
05. Going Nowhere
06. The Safety Dance
07. The Devil's Rose
08. Folge Mir
09. The Art Is Mine
10. Hellfire
11. My World
After a couple of EPs the German gothsters Weak finally released their debut full-lenght named Dark Desires, and believe it or not they were formed back in 1999. The band already has some important live shows in their register, where they shared the stage with some big names. Yes, I'm not surprised of this because their musical output is strong and experienced live it might a blast. But let's now concetrate on their album... While listening to it quite a lot in the last two weeks I'm having some second thoughts. Initially I liked it very much, I still do, but I can't get rid of the feeling that almost every single element they use was heard somewhere before. I know that this happens often, it's nothing surprising, but I expected a bit more of originality from the band with so much experiences.
Weak are stylistically nothing else but another dark/gothic metal band with some deviations into various directions. Once the albums starts to spin there are well evident similarities with The 69 Eyes, Paradise Lost, Deathstars and Type O Negative, but as well I can't go past a lot of that typical German gothic metal which was played before by Darkseed, Evereve, Lacrimas Profundere and even Crematory to name a few. With some industrial metal and NDH insertions that they boldly implement, also Rammstein, Megaherz or Mono Inc. can come in mind here and there. So, if you are a fan of those bands you can't go wrong with Weak's debut, and as well if you are into traditional gothic rock you are invited to give it a try, as it's more than evident that the band is aware where are the roots of all evil.
The sound on Dark Desires is strong, heavy, dark, with cutting guitar riffs, nice melodies and powerful driving groovy parts. One of the best examples is already the opener "Wolfmoon". The band is able to create a dense spooky atmosphere with gloomy keys and Quim's emotional, deep and dynamic baritone vocals. I enjoyed a lot also in the "Don't Farewell", that's where the rich German gothic metal tradition is best evident, the refrain is so very Darkseed/EverEve-ish, with pumping keys and groovy rhythmic line, and I can't deny that this kind of catchiness didn't made me re-listen to some classic albums from German gothic metal scene. Also "Going Nowhere" and "The Devil's Rose" with its dark romantic vibe are both sympathic dark metal tunes, a bit doomy with strong references to Paradise Lost from their eponymous album.
The best is reserved for the end and the final three tracks. Especially "The Art Is Mine", which sounds like kind of a hybrid between Deathstars and The 69 Eyes, then the outstanding dark electro/industrial charged "Hellfire", with robotized vocals, and the final one, "My World", with a very tasty gothic metal drive and captivativating melodic refrain. But there are also some let downs in my opinion. "Jede Nacht" with its tendency to appeal to German audience is featuring great female operatic vocals, but it fails with its rather too simple, linear and somehow intrusive vibe. The same story is "Folge Mir", with some similarities to Rammstein, and the worst one up here, absolutelly unnecessary, filled with samples, danceable, "The Safety Dance", but yet I can give to Weak some credits for this composition, as it's evident that the band can easily scull through different genres.
Dark Desires shines because of the great production done by Siggi Bemm in Woodhouse Studios (The Gathering, Tiamat, The Kovenant,...), it gives the necessary depth, rich texture and modern sound. Weak did an adequate album which has its good points, even though it completely fails in originality, but I'm more than sure that album like this one will find its listeners as it offers eleven accessible, captivating, melodic, heavy and dynamic tracks that could appeal to a wide range of dark/gothic metal/rock fans.
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 7/10
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