Time Does Not Heal (1991)
Dark Angel were one of many metal bands I missed real time. Not sure why I didn't pick this album up at least, given that this was the one branch of metal I was still buying back then. That of technical thrash. About 15 years later, I picked up this used CD (very used it turns out, and can't even remember why I bothered to get it). My initial reaction wasn't positive, where I wrote the following notes: "An exhausting and messy thrash album with a bazillion riffs." Another decade after that, the album clicked with me in a big way. And here we are again, yet another decade on. I cannot even imagine how the vocalist could remember all the lyrics on Time Does Not Heal, they are so numerous. Genius level I would submit, though the trade off is he doesn't really sing, but rather recites in a monotonous way. He sings just as much as both guitarists fly through riff after riff. The album is famous for just that as it proclaimed rather boldly there are 246 riffs here. Is that some kind of record? Maybe, I have no idea. My initial cynical reaction was "246 riffs, and not one melody." That's true actually, which doesn't take away from my enjoyment here. It's also not very progressive really, more of a constant change of the riff, not the music or meters. Technical thrash is such a pleasure to hear when in the right mood. Especially if the production and guitar crunch is excellent, as it is here. You'd think something like Time Does Not Heal would be difficult to endure for 67 minutes. But it's not really - it flows rather nicely. And it never - I mean never - stops moving all over the place. I do think, though, taking one or two songs in a session will produce better results. These guys were insanely talented. Especially drummer Gene Hogland, who is considered an A-lister, and has participated with many collectives, just as in the jazz world. Interesting to note, despite the huge cult following the band has, this album is not considered one of their good ones even by their dedicated fans. And this was to be it for Dark Angel, until interestingly enough, last month (who knew?). Their new album has been met with serious derision. The opposite of another 80s / early 90s legend that recently reformed and I will be talking about (excitedly I hope) within the next month.
Ownership: 1991 Combat (CD). The microscopic lyrics take four pages of the foldout booklet.
5//05 (acquired); 5/22/16; 10/27/25 (review)
At one point I owned the two albums that preceded Time Does Not Heal. These are different in style and I didn't care for them. But I'm up for a revisit if and when I find them again.
10/27/25 (new entry)
No comments:
Post a Comment