Italian band FANGTOOTH have been a presence in the Italian metal circuit since 2007, and released their debut self-titled debut album back in 2011. “…As We Dive Into the Dark” is their sophomore studio production, and was released through Italian label Jolly Roger Records in the fall of 2014.
Fangtooth is among those bands that will instantly be classified as doom metal by just about anyone encountering them for the first time long before the first song ends. As far as bands active in this genre goes, one might say that they have a fairly strict traditional approach to this music, and one that points towards a band like Candlemass to a much greater extent than the originators Black Sabbath at that. As a matter of fact, this production comes across as rather 80’s oriented also on at least one further level as well, which is mix and production.
The compositions are by and large unsurprising on all levels, which isn’t actually a bad thing. Those who find doom metal compelling will enjoy this band’s dark, muddy and booming guitar riffs, with forays into pacier territories now and again enriching the total experience, depth and scope of the production. The rather dampened, unobtrusive and at times slightly sickly sounding melodic overlays which is a fairly fixed presence throughout also suits this music perfectly, and the guitarists here are willing and able to kick off with solo runs of a more fiery and spirited character at times as well, which does invigorate the material. The same can be said of drummer Grendel, who has a nice touch on producing some nifty wandering, pace-filled patterns offsetting the slower paced guitar riffs quite nicely and adding a fine additional tension and momentum to the proceedings. Even the more or less obligatory mellow instrumental piece, Memories of a Forgotten Season, is crafted and executed in a manner that makes this mellow interlude come across as intriguing.
Vocalist Sfack has a distinct melodic delivery that may not suit everyone, but personally I found his voice appealing. The manner in which it has been mixed is another aspect that will not be universally regarded as compelling I suspect, as it kind of appears to be behind the instrumentation, but again I enjoyed this approach personally even if I can hear and tell that this won’t be something everyone else will find intriguing.
The mix and production is probably also the weakest aspect of this album. The sound is muddy and closed in, besides the vocals already mentioned, and while this may well be a planned effect rather than an accidental one, for me this gives this production something of an early 80’s feel. Those who can recall the lesser known bands of the NWoBHM era and the mix and production they were subject to on their albums will probably understand what I’m talking about here.
At the end of the day, I do find Fangtooth’s second album to be a compelling one. Perhaps oddly so, as I am a sucker for a well produced album. But to me the rather lo-fi sounding mix suits this kind of music very well, as this music for me at least isn’t about showcasing technical brilliance as much as it is about exploring a specific mood and atmosphere, and then one that at least in some cases comes across better with more of a basic sound than a more polished one. Fans of bands like aforementioned Candlemass and perhaps Manilla Road as well might want to give this one a spin, especially those among them that doesn’t have a strong need for an album to sound perfectly polished.
My rating: 77/100
