Dimentianon - Collapse The Void

Clocking in at just over twenty seven minutes, I wouldn't put money on more people considering Dimentianon's Collapse the Void being a Full Length album rather than an EP. I definitely view it as an EP and it's a decent one at that, with the Long Island - a location I loathe due to traffic driving to the airport today - gang that put this together showing off melodic skills, rhythmic acumen and creative will. I think the last aspect is their best attribute however. The inclusion of keys and an entire keyboard driven track shows that Dimentianon is more interested in creating than copying others. The release is out on Paragon records which is not a surprise at all, considering that vocalist M is Paragon owner Mike Zanchelli. I like the artwork on the release as well, featuring a looming shadow over what looks to be a planet being broken in half or something. As I'm familiar with the band, I can say that I've always thought their logo was cool also.

 

Collapse The Void isn't this or that. It's a nice combination of things, at times done effectively and elsewhere bordering on a mashup. At times the songs flow really well but then, at other points transitions don't seem to fit. One example would be about four minutes into "The Forgotten" with a grandiose section being welded with a faster thrashy section which awkwardly turns back into a slower, moody period. The songs wander around like this at times and even though the parts are cool and interesting, I'm not always sure if they fit together, especially on the two longer tracks, "The Forgotten" and "Return...," which could have been better served as three or -more likely - four tracks with more definition and recognition. Even with this drawback, though, the songs hold their own well. Clean sections are scattered across the release which in sound reminds me of a less black Emperor or a more aggressive and blackened Insomnium maybe. Who knows?

Performances are strong. Mike's vocals are well performed typical death / black snarls and they suit the black / death mixture of Dimentianon seamlessly. He's at his best on Collapse's weirdest track, "Breathe Deep," where he still sounds fresh to the ears and a bit deranged, to match the slightly happ-go-lucky taunting melodicism of the track. I would wager that while "Breathe Deep" doesn't have my favorite sections, it's a perfectly written song from the standpoint of memorability goes. I particularly like the two leads in the track which mimic the frivolous back and forth irking of the track's melodies. Engineer, Mixer, Masterer Pete Rutcho is probably to be blamed for the awesome synth break in the album, "Fragmented Nostalgia." The rhythm section of Maureen Murphy and Peter Christopher is one of the highlights on the release. Both offer interesting depth to the release. Christopher's drumming is varied and paired with the perfect sounding drum production featuring a really punchy kick and really crisp cymbal work, fills the percussive space that's often left in other albums. Murphy plays against the guitars often and follows mostly only on the faster sections. Her bass playing is a big part of what keeps everything interesting and moody.