"Darkday Carnival" is the debut album for CYPHER, a band of four guys from Holland. I have written before that when it comes to debut albums I try being a little bit less harsh than I usually am but these guys certainly DON'T need such an attitude! CYPHER plays Swedish influenced death/ thrash metal in the moods of AT THE GATES, THE HAUNTED, SOILWORK etc. but with a little bit more brutal vocals and they do it more than well!
They certainly won't help the genre to progress musically, but they surely keep the flame burning bright! Their debut album is extremely powerful, giving you the need to bang your head, having a really strong production, perfect for a debut album and they give the impression of a well experienced band! The guitar sound is PERFECT for my taste and the rhythm section is really strong and solid.
The vocals are really deathly, and T just doesn't fall into the trap of singing any emo lyrics, trying to sell a couple of more albums. I think that we have to expect some great albums from these guys if they continue like that and I am certain that they will be signed from a stronger label furthermore, as they really deserve a good promotion. Well done guys!
Stefanos Spanopoulos8