### D.S.F.A. 6: Paradise of the underground

#### 26/08/10 || Butt-Beard

While doing research for this comp I typed it into Google to find out who else had reviewed it. It came up with 1 review, and that one was about a paragraph long. This is therefore a Global Domination Exclusive! Nowhere else on the web will you be able to:

A. Find this comp. B. Read a proper review. C. Download it.

I found this comp whilst perusing my local Used Products, for 3 Euros. Thankfully it’s from back in the day when bands recorded stuff just for a compilation so even if the track is weak, it is still unique. So let us begin with the first (!) proper review of this comp on the Interwebs.

Orphanage: “Weltschmertz” kicks off this comp with an awesome gothic metal track. Whilst I haven’t ever really dived into the Dutch metal scene apart from Asphyx and The Monolith Deathcult, this track kind of makes me want to. Or not. It’s not bad, but it’s not exactly unique. “Sea Of Dreams” is Orphanage’s second contribution. According to the booklet the CD was “produced, engineered and mixed by the bands”. Props to them for that. Vocals are really good too. Orphanage made use of 4 vocalists according to the booklet. I only hear 3 distinct styles but whatever. Not bad for a gothic metal band. 7.5/10

Acrostichon: The only spiky logo band on this comp, and one of the 2 all female vocals bands. Not that you’d notice if the booklet didn’t tell you. These two tracks are pure groovy death/trash with harsh vocals. Good shit. Props to them for thanking the milkman in the booklet. I’ve listened to these two tracks more than the rest of the comp. Good shit. 8/10

Polluted Inheritance: Good drumming on this track. Magnum PI only contributed 1 track to the comp. Nice bass fills on this track though, and lots of stop-start Cynic-esque parts on this too. I believe these guys only had a demo out at this point (which I have not heard). Anyway 8/10

Gathering: This is one of those tracks that I do not give a fuck about. Lord K would like this shit. All female vocals and an Evanescence-but-better vibe to the whole thing. I’m not big on it, with its synth intro and female vocals. 6/10

Excision: “LAAWLGH” Kick off the Obituary rip-off band. Sludgy Tampa style death metal with some trash gallops. Good growls and solos. Once again the bass is nice and high in the mix. The first track is an original song and the second is based on “Symphony No.8” by Schubert. Interesting and surprisingly good. Not bad. 7.5/10

Pentacle: A fucken 9:30 minute song? Is this the Dutch Project Hate? Nope, it is 9 and a half minutes of pure death/thrash goodness, the first half being faster, and the second being more doomy. Wannes Gubbels from Asphyx was in this band and in the booklet is wearing a fucken Pentacle shirt. Dude, come on, you don’t do that. Fuck. -1 point. 8/10

Manifest: Weak vocals on this track, and its way too long. Fucken Dutch Cynic rip-offs. They even thank Cynic and Atheist in the booklet. So I’m justified in saying that. This track is also 5 minutes too long for me. I get tired of prog metal quick. Oh and Marvin Vriesde was also a member of Dew-Scented for a while. Not that it matters. 5.5/10

Hoer: Why? Why name your band after the Dutch word for whore? Besides, the whole song is just a riff from Slayer’s “Angel Of Death” with a bunch of retarded samples thrown in and some techno drums. Fuck. 3/10

The Circle: When your band’s biggest claim to fame is dissolving and forming Within Temptation, then you must be balls. Well, their logo looks like one. It is (I’m not fucken joking) their band name stylized into a… circle. I listened to these tracks and forgot that I had even heard them. They are just boring, and very indicative of the direction that Robert Westerholt would take with Within Temptation… boring. 5/10

Talk about a mixed bag. Good Dutch metal mixed with the crap. For those who care the cover is taken from “The Art of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons”. Oh well. Here’s the average score. Sadly the greatness is dragged down by the absolute crap. Fuck it.

- Information
- Released: 1994
- Label: Displeased Records
- Bands (and songs)
- 01. Orphanage (01-02)
- 02. Acrostichon (03-04)
- 03. Polluted Inheritance (05)
- 04. Gathering (06)
- 05. Pentacle (07)
- 06. Excision (08-09)
- 07. Hoer (10)
- 08. Manifest (11)
- 09. The Circle (12-13)

- Tracklist
- 01. Weltschmertz
- 02. Sea Of Dreams
- 03. Murder
- 04. Day Of Wreckening
- 05. My Voice
- 06. In Motion (Part 1)
- 07. A Dace Beyond
- 08. The Curved Way Of Life
- 09. Birth Of A Second Face
- 10. Nothing
- 11. Not Even God Is Wise Enough
- 12. Broken Silence
- 13. Frozen