Black Desert – The Beginning (2013)

Hailing from Spain, today we have Gothic Metal newcomers Black Dessert and their Middle Eastern influenced debut release “The Beginning”. Originally comprised of two members (Isabel Bermejo y Ángel Agüera), this band has now grown to have a full line-up and touring dates. In a world filled with Symphonic/Gothic Metal bands, it is quite refreshing to hear one that sticks to the basics and delivers an engaging performance.

Opening with the lush “Death Orchestra”, we are treated to cool atmospheric elements filled with powerful riffs and solid drums. A thing to note is that we are not quite sure who (if anybody) played the drums in this release, but they sound quite solid and if they are programmed drums, they did a great job making them sound natural. Anyways, the band’s main characteristic is the subtle Middle Eastern influences and Isabel’s commanding voice.

While tons of bands abuse keyboards and gimmicks, Black Desert’s strength lies in the heavy side of their sound. Reminding us of bands like Within Temptation on their “Enter”/”The Dance” era and others like The Sins of Thy Beloved and early Tristania, this band has a very simple-yet-effective approach to the genre. Songs like “Desert Eyes”, “Lies Deep Must Fall” and the catchy “Nor Me Nor You”, showcase the band’s ability to craft diverse songs that are equally catchy and enjoyable.

Our favorite track in this release is the dramatic “Dreams of Glycerine”, filled with solemn vocals and excellent string instruments (acoustic guitars, violin/cello). The band keeps getting better and better as the release continues with epic songs like “Orphaned Land”, “Voices”, and “Come Alive”, reminding us of the barebones structure behind acts like Xandria and Visions of Atlantis.

Leaving on a high note, “Madness” really brings this release full circle with powerful guitars and very emotional atmospheric elements. As a whole, “The Beginning” is quite a cohesive and well-crafted release, a feat that the band only achieved we two members, we can only imagine what else they will do with a complete line-up now. If you like Gothic Metal and want some Middle Eastern influences thrown into the mix, check this release out.

Label: Self-Released

Release: May 9th, 2013

Genre: Gothic Metal

Country: Spain