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Review: Dimhav - The Boreal Flame
Dimhav
www.dimhav.com
The Boreal Flame

Label: Independent
Year released: 2019
Duration: 54:12
Tracks: 7
Genre: Progressive Metal

Rating:
3.75/5


Review online: April 17, 2020
Reviewed by: Sargon the Terrible
Readers' Rating
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Rated 2.83/5 (56.67%) (6 Votes)
Review

You would think that the return of former Lost Horizon singer Daniel Heiman to metal would have occasioned some notice, but this slipped by under everyone's radar last year. After all, since he left Crystal Eyes back in 2005 (if he was ever even really a member) vocal god Heiman has been AWOL, wasting his time in some shit alt-rock band. But here he is in a genuine Prog Metal release after almost fifteen years out of the game save for some guest spots.

Dimhav (which I think is Hindi for "Mind") are essentially a side-project for a couple of guys in Shadows Past, which started as a side-project of a dude from Insania. The Swedish scene is just like that, I suppose. The recipe here is intensely complex Prog in the classic sense of the word. Loooong songs, highly intellectual songwriting, and high-wire musicianship centered on guitar work and keys. As happens with a lot of this type of music, the individual parts are often impressive, but the compositions don't really come together. Some songs, like the ten-minute instrumental opener "Boreal Ascent" and the actually catchy "The Flame Transcendent" work much better, but too much of this blurs past and makes little impression despite how well made it is.

Heiman sounds good, even if he does not push himself like he did in the Lost Horizon days, and he does not have vocal lines as catchy as those. Still, he sounds amazingly good considering he is 45 and not 28 anymore. If you like your Prog ambitious and sprawling, then this is an album you should look into.

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