Seattle quintet Dark Meditation had us at “dark meditation,” because we’re old enough to remember a Scorpions track called “Pictured Life” with that very phrase prominently featured. It was a song on an album called Virgin Killer, so don’t expect to track that one down on iTunes, because, you know, virgins and killers and especially virgin killers are strictly verboten. (Going way off topic here, I kind of feel bad for the stupid Scorpions naming one of their better albums Virgin Killer in 1976, and then putting what amounts to child pornography on the cover of said album. How was that OK in any decade?)
As you’ll see from the exclusive video premiere below, Dark Meditation may have old-school metal tendencies, but they definitely don’t share the Scorpions’ questionable visual content choices. There’s a flying V in the mix, so there’s at least a thread of connectivity to the Scorps, but without the unpleasantness of nekkid underage nubiles. No sir, “Haunt of Fear,” from the upcoming Polluted Temples full-length on Satanik Royalty, is more akin to Mercyful Fate musically, though without all the falsetto wailing. In fact, if you want solid reference point, consider Sweden’s In Solitude circa Sister, as there’s a bit of goth mixed into the trad metal mix, as well. This is a band that’s confident in the path it’s following, and it isn’t a well-worn one. Polluted Temples, which is set for release January 28, actually gives us hope that 2022 has some upside beyond, “at least it’s not 2021.”
Here’s what the band had to say about this first taste of their debut.
“’Haunt Of Fear’ deals with the concept of creating a ‘devil’ or a problem you may fixate on to serve as an invented boogeyman, where fear governs your mindset and instills hatred or provides a scapegoat on why you can’t move forward with your life. Musically, it’s a thunderous foundation of first-wave black metal riffage, wailing pinch harmonics and dueling guitar solos.”
This album delivers everything the video promises, and more, and you can preorder your own limited edition vinyl copy here. Or head over to their Bandcamp page for digital purchases here.
