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Melodic black metal has exploded since Emperor released Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk. (N)utopia follows in the wake of this
explosion, and should show the elitist black metal fans that they should expand their horizons and embrace this new genre.
On this disc, there is a heavy use of the somewhat airy keyboard, but in a non-distracting way. This review starts out
with this pseudo-disclaimer due to the fact that some people will hear the keys and reject the rest of the music, and forget
that the keys are not the focal point.
The focal point is the blending of great black metal riffs (with some death metal influence), solid drumming, a good vocal
deliverance, and on top of all that, keys. After multiple listens, I am getting a sense that Graveworm in part is heavily
influenced by Dimmu Borgir, but not the awful Dimmu (like Purenthetical). The production quality is not at the leave of Death
Cult Armageddon, but you can hear the simularities in the song arrangement, and the vocals, especially the death growls. I
do have to make myself clear though, this is not a DCA clone, nor a Dimmu clone. Deep Inside, track seven, illuminates this
point. It is an instrumental track that highlights the keyboard, but does not try to sound like symphonics. Instead, they
have a more metallic feel, which adds to the harshness, and the creepiness of the disc.
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