REVIEW FOR MAY 6, 2004

DAATH
FUTILITY
SELF-RELEASED, 2004
1 OUT OF 5
SUMMARY | FUTILITY?  WHAT A GREAT NAME FOR THE ALBUM!  IT FITS AND CRAP!
 
I don't usually have stuff sent to me for UR, at least not unsolicited anyway.  I have to ask for promos or buy the albums like every other 'zine, which I don't mind even though the process of procuring review material sometimes makes me want to punch my testes (or yours, I'm not biased against S&M) every nine seconds.  See, there's this theory I have about promos: the smarter and harder to pinpoint the 'zine is, the less unsolicited stuff it gets.  What I'm saying isn't news, mind you, but it sometimes seems like a damn tenet given how many times I read other 'zine reviews and see the same positive review on every damn album sent to the things.  Metal is the worst when it comes to this sort of behaviour, like the editor of Ceremony Of Shiva 'zine is contractually required to gladhand everything he gets.  Well, my gay ass doesn't do that.  I like to entertain the reader.  I obviously don't do that very well but I'm trying my bleeding anus off, so I'm going to throw up a clumsy segue and talk about why I hate Daath's Futility.  Foreshadowing, you see.
 
Anyhow, I got Daath's Futility in a binder with one of the members of the band patting me on the back for writing that black metal article I wrote two years ago, an article I've grown to dislike because it isn't exactly my best writing (it was also written during the time I was trying to feel around a direction for UR, also I was half-crazy then.)  Ass-kissing aside, I just really despise this album.  First of all, I hate overly commercial music and Daath makes overly commercial music.  Futility is like death metal meets Disturbed, which makes me wonder who the hell Daath is trying to appeal to.  Guys, the target market for groovy overproduced nü death crossover is neither large nor existent.  Also, the production is so elaborate and layered (read: Daath has a distinct tendency to layer on mountains of synthesized crap) but it's too bloody thin.  It's great that Daath threw all the extraneous synth bits in but the end product sounds like I could break it by blowing on it.  Daath is trying to break through commercially, so there's no excuse for this underproduced, weak-sounding dross.  I also can't fathom why the band included insights in the bio when everything in the lyrics reads like it was written by a fourth-grader.  Seriously, not to sound like a jerk here but I just can't consider short verses and nü-metalisms worthy of dissection.  In short, it's great that Daath sent this to me and it's great the band likes the site but I have to ask...
 
Did you guys really think I was going to like this?
 
Seriously, what the hell was going through your head that you felt UR fit into your plans?  I have too much crap as it is, no need to make my situation worse by adding more manure to the dung heap.  Say hi to Lex Luger and Ted Turner for me.
 
DAATH
6300 Powers Ferry Rd.
Building 600, Suite #144
Atlanta, GA 30339
USA
http://www.daathmusic.com/
[email protected]