Dreamweaver

Albumrecension

Titling a death metal album Dreamweaver doesn't exactly strike fear in the hearts of millions (visions of Gary Wright come to mind), but Golem doesn't exactly play by the rules all the time. Although the German band's third album wears its Morbid Angel and later-period Carcass influences on its sleeve, it isn't wholly derivative, or a whirling blur of atonal riffs and nonsensical changes like most run-of-the-mill death metal albums. In fact, Golem's sound is more ornate, intricate and progressive than most bands flexing their genre muscles, even if initial spins of Dreamweaver fail to impress. Certainly, unraveling the mysteries of this album isn't without its rewards — the fluid lead guitars, occasional melodic flourishes, and complex arrangements are strengths; see "Al-Ghanor," "Diaspora" and "Tomb" — even if Golem exists in an overstuffed European metal bracket, and will therefore struggle to define itself as unique. And while the songs here are respectable — excellent in some cases — the production is crisp and performances are admirable, there are dozens of Euro-death acts more worthy of attention. Faint praise, yes, but Dreamweaver doesn't necessarily warrant condemnation or acclaim; it's worthy of a nod of approval before one moves on to more ambitious avenues.