Zero Hour - Dark Deceiver Review
by Matt Hensch
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Why isn't Zero Hour a household name? Let's get the facts straight: they've been around for several years, have accomplished much in the progressive metal field, and continue to improve within each growing experience. Sure, few have probably heard of these guys due to their unknown obscurity, yet what Zero Hour does on Dark Deceiver can only be described as phenomenal work, as it is clearly a gem of the technical metal sub-genre.
Of course, claims must be supported by beefy substance, and all I present is this record; just the overall connection makes everything else seem obsolete. Balancing the aspects of intelligent technicality and diverse instrumentation, Zero Hour will not be deceiving any progressive fans with their sixth full-length, which might possibly be the band's magnum opus of future and past worlds; it has everything a great album should obtain. At the day's conclusion, I love this record more than my paycheck.
To put it in simple terms, Dark Deceiver freely promotes unlimited musicianship sponsored by large brains and impossible technicality, creating a nice bridge of excellence throughout rough plains that seem a bit challenging at hindsight. Essentially, the whole disc is coherently laced with wild guitars radiating shred-like touches and stunning soloing while the bass continues down the same road; thus, a basket of slick percussion creates Zero Hour's unpredictable atmosphere. Chris Salinas' vocal contributions surprisingly aids these twisted equations with mighty singing found in typical progressive factions, but his tone and consistency are unusual for such a taste; indeed, their overall combinations are nearly perfect. To expect the unexpected is your only objective here, because Zero Hour will push the most brilliant instrumentation one could conjure right from the beginning, only to evolve impeccably as time marches on. Hell, even the track "Tendonitis," which is just a bass-only soloing instrumental, emits genuine rays of knowledgeable profession unlike other attempts from a similar niche. Should I pick Dark Deceiver or my girlfriend? Hit the road, bitch!
Being nutty and all that jazz, Dark Deceiver still cannot let go of fantastic compositions whilst juggling such loopy textures. For one, they somehow make most tunes curve toward basic song structures like choruses or bridges, revealing catchy and addicting pheromones rather tastefully. Alas, Chris Salinas' wonderful vocals can easily grab on to Zero Hour's ship and control the vehicle's uncharacteristic approach without running everything into a random glacier, proving his group's production is pure genius, even while leaning against not-so-safe patterns. Case in point, it's an f*cking symphony beyond progression, or atypical music for that matter; indeed, Zero Hour has achieved brilliance throughout this epic masterpiece in all areas possible.
I like to think Dark Deceiver is fantastic sex, minus the money, dating, and all that bullsh*t; cutting unnecessary crap, you capture just what you want without losing essential resources. I tip my hat to Zero Hour's unconventional synopsis of technical metal accommodating acts like Spastic Ink and Spiral Architect while opting towards a better tomorrow for this brand of uniqueness. Not only will one be amazingly impressed, but also stunned by the magical comprehension and complex insanity Zero Hour specializes in, and that's enough to induce a chubby, even if you're a tasteless hack with Korn currently racing around your empty head. Give your hand to these Dark Deceivers, and prepare to enter a nocturnal realm of progressive metal in which only fantastic auras shine. Goddamn I love this CD.
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Zero Hour - Dark Deceiver Rating:9.5
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