My journey through Asia continues, from Thailand (DEATHGUY) I move on towards the east and arrive in Vietnam. OK, the band is now located in the States, more precisely in Minnesota, but they still call their music "Vietnamese Black Metal", so let’s just view SWORD OF DARKNESS as Vietnamese band, as far as you can call a duo a real band, but that’s just a minor detail. Founded in 1998 by the brothers Gary and Kenny Vu, the info talks about influences from bands like BELPHEGOR, DARK FUNERAL and BEHEMOTH for the new material.

As usual in this style, they set out with a bombastic/atmospheric intro, here titled "The Vô Than Overture" (and pretty long for an intro), all keyboards, but not sounding bad, let’s wait and see, what hides behind the charming title "Midwinter Atrocities", which awaits us next… And here we get melodic Black Metal with keyboards that does not really have much to do with the mentioned influences, but already stands apart by the quite strong use of keyboards. What, though, is used very much to their advantage is the dual vocal attack, higher and lower, you don’t understand anything in either case, but it fits the sound very well.

And that one is not bad at all, I’ve had a lot worse albums as the production is pretty good as well, so a “Bestial Warhearts“ also comes over very well with its good melodies and the dual vocals, even though I honestly do not hear anything that would mark SWORD OF DARKNESS’ music as “Vietnamese” Black Metal, because apart from the vocals nothing really sets them apart from the already known Melodic/Symphonic Black Metal bands. Here and there they leave the beaten paths to, as at the beginning of “In Battle”, add a brick and get a bit heavier and faster, even though these parts tend to sound a bit uniform after a while, also vocally.

Especially the quite strong use of keyboards will meet at least some resistance with many people as they in the end are used as lead instrument more often than the guitars. Still I can hold it for SWORD OF DARKNESS to bring some dynamics into their songs and having an own touch with the different vocal styles. As check out tips I would choose “Bestial Warhearts“, “Ride Under The Banner Of Darkness“ as well as the long, symphonic “Dâng Thiên Sai Dên“.

Surely not a bad album that shows that the two guys have talent and that, if you do not have a keyboard allergy, should/could appeal to fans of the more melodic side of Black Metal. (Online February, 24 2004)