Black Metal from the United States? Overall not exactly my first choice. Usually simple and not as interesting as (especially) their Scandinavian counterparts. I say ‘usually’ on purpose, because the Illinois based Veneficum unleashes some good quality epic Black Metal onto our ears with ‘Dysphoria’. Not very original, but certainly very enjoyable to a wide range of potential melodic Black Metal listeners.
The atmosphere is great, leaving trails of epic, symphonic and bombastic music which could be labelled as a combination between Emperor and Mactätus. The compelling compositions spawn fast, melodic, diverse and at times laid back passages, which sadly aren’t always as tightly played as should be. This is sometimes though, and doesn’t bother me enough to leave the disc in its case.
Concerning the sound on ‘Dysphoria’, it’s a typical Black Metal sound I guess, the only thing which bothers me is the overhead (especially the hi-hat) which just falls out of the bigger picture, and can even be annoying at times. And it’s a shame that the bassdrum cannot be heard very well, because in the passages in which it can be heard, it sounds very tight and very fast.
So my message to all Emperor, Mactätus and even some Dimmu Borgir fans: buy this album and get convinced that good melodic symphonic Black Metal from the United States is possible!
