Sundown – Design 19 – Review

Sundown

Design 19 (Century Media)
by Scott Hefflon

The (kinda) all-star collaboration of Sweden’s Cemetary and Tiamat results in this Goth rock/metal record. While the lyrics are as beautifully preposterous as you’d expect from Goth and the guitars are as mean as you’d hope from metalheads, it’s the most-clichéd-keyboards-you-can-imagine that holds Sundown back. Not only are the sounds the simplest pre-sets available, their contribution merely restates the obvious in a childish voice. Aside from the keyboards (which, rumor has it, were “possessed” in the studio – oh please, accept responsibility, fire the fucking keyboardist, and move on!),Design 19 has the template for success: Goth bravado (available in both barrel-chested reaching for the heavens and breathy whisper styles) and shredding guitar rhythms rumbling like a well-tuned muscle car.