When you see the word ‘Swedish’ and the phrase ‘Death Metal’ together in a descriptive sentence it leads you to expect a certain things. The Mirroring Shadow grabs those expectations by the throat and beats them to death on the nearest available rock. From the opening ferocious blast of ‘Dreamdecipher’ the names that spring to mind are all very much American; it’s Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal, Suffocation and Slayer rather than the anticipated Dismember, Entombed etc. This is not to imply that Miseration are just a composite of influences, those listed luminaries are just the kind of flavours you can detect in this particular menacing metal mixture.
The quality in sound and execution, and the pleasing attention to detail are all apparent from the opening bars of brutality but it takes a couple of tracks for the essential adrenalin and excitement to really kick in. However by the time ‘Voyaging The Seas Of Sound’ is rampaging in full effect everything has locked into place and you’re wrapped up in the beautiful sonic violence with no option but to hang on in there ‘til the end. Title track ‘The Mirroring Shadow’ adds some grandeur and drama to the mix and it becomes clear that this album is slowly but surely working its way into becoming a very fine piece of work. ‘A Trail Blazed Through Time’ has the kind of venom that makes you want to violently attack random passers by while the classy ‘Dimorphic’ draws deep from the well of classic death metal riffing and blends it successfully with some modern edge and aggression.
Another plus for The Mirroring Shadow is that it’s blessedly not overlong. It’s just long enough to deliver a satisfying beating and leave a long lasting bloody impression. This is no tedious hour long plus trawl through every mediocre idea the band has ever come up with. Quality over quantity and all the better for it. So a definite step up from their Your Demons – Their Angels debut and well worth investigating.
http://www.myspace.com/miseration
