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Transnight's The Dark Half is another potentially decent, straight-up Heavy Metal album that is ruined by poor singing and uninspired songwriting. Musically, The Dark Half is in the vein of 80s Metal Church and my first thought upon hearing the singer was "hey, this guy sounds a bit like Mark Shelton." This was quickly followed by my second thought "a FLAT Mark Shelton." I appreciate the fact that Shelton's high-pitched, nasal singing is an acquired taste, one which I enjoy, but when it is flat, deal me out.

Vocals aside, The Dark Half sounds pretty good. The guitars are crisp and crunchy and the drums are sharp, not muddy or overpowering. The songs, however, are dull with generic riffs and unimaginative, occasionally asinine ("Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"), lyrics.

Too many negatives add up to an album far from worth your while.