Waldheim – “Fight Against Time” (2008)

Label : Santo Grial Records

Review by Tony Cannella

Chances are you have never heard of Spain’s Waldheim. They are the new guys (and girls) on the very crowded underground death metal street. Within this genre it takes something different to stand out amongst everyone else. Here we have your male and female lead, heavy hitting riffs and classical influence sprinkled throughout. Sounds like pretty standard stuff, right ? Harsh male vocals alongside of a softer female voice is nothing new to the melodic death metal genre. Mina and Fitti do a remarkable job together. Their voices naturally bounce off of each other, never leaving an awkward moment behind. Each singer gets around an equal amount of time. Mina provides a softer solo track with “Break the Silence”, which is placed towards the middle of the album to give the listener a short but welcomed change of pace. While there may not be much new here, that should not be taken in a negative light. Both singers are very talented and blend in with the atmosphere without the least bit of struggle. With seven members, one has to wonder how well the band will manage to bring together the many individual parts. This becomes the thing that stands out most over the course of the album – it just works. The guitar moves at an incredibly fast pace and meshes with everything going on. With the neoclassical influences mixed throughout, there is a lot happening here but the chaotic energy is tamed and presented superbly. I usually don’t find myself getting into instrumental tracks too often but “Memories of Fate” provided enough variation and interesting changes to keep me intrigued the whole time. Each track is unique enough to keep things from getting repetitive and makes listening through the album again enjoyable. “Fight Against Time” is a very impressive entry into the world of of melodic death metal. For fans of the genre, there is a lot to take in here. Waldheim has put together a complex formula and executes it at near perfection. Each member provides a significant role at bringing the overall sound together. The band has gone through several line-up changes and it has taken them awhile to get everything stabilized. I am glad they are finally here and the amount of effort and talent put into this recording really shows. The album is well worth the listen and it will be interested to see how the band pushes forward.