Review: Dälek ‘Brilliance Of A Falling Moon’
For all my years of loving heavy music, and more recently my awakening into the whole post-rock/metal hemisphere, it isn’t widely known that I also enjoy a lot of the hip-hop and rap acts from the early to mid ‘90s. After an initial awakening back in the ‘80s with the Beastie Boys, it was acts such as House Of Pain, Cypress Hill and Onyx who piqued my interest.
The combination of hard-edged rhyming atop darker musical content really captured my curiosity when I was looking for a night off from my world of grungy goodness. This reached its pinnacle when the soundtrack to the film Judgement Night was released; the fusing of rock and metal acts with rap acts was the perfect pairing. At the time, the likes of Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth paired with Cypress Hill was a revelation, but there was also Helmet and House Of Pain, and Biohazard with Onyx that were uncompromisingly incredible.
Since then, I have always cited it as the birth of what would become the world that the likes of Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park have embraced and capitalised on. It set the scene for a lot of the nu metal mentality, and ever since has been a staple for several acts moving forward.
I never felt that initial arousal in the way Judgement Night hit me until very recently, when I got the opportunity to review the newest Dälek release, Brilliance Of A Falling Moon, a masterclass in old school values with enough animosity to utterly destroy your mentality.
This album is the latest in a long series of releases for the now two-man project consisting of Will Brooks and Mike Mare. Between them, they deliver a legitimately uncompromising study of modern cultural inadequacies, a statement on the political climate, and living under the bullshit governing the planet in the 21st century. It is a rage-filled call to arms for addressing the current mentality of the masses and how the system is failing completely
Comprising of eight sharp-spitting rhymes, each perfectly vicious in their approach, the duo manages to capture that old school rap brutality, while offering a compelling and eloquent evaluation of society. At times reminding me of Xzibit and Wu-Tang Clan, the vibrant clash of educated storytelling and skilful vocal approach works incredibly well alongside the soundtrack. It is a talent which I think has been somewhat lost over the years. This isn’t your average mumble rap nonsense; this is pure quality, next-level understanding of the task at hand, and ultimately reintroducing a sound that is steeped in heritage.
For instance, the opener, Better Than, wastes no time in introducing the listener to the act’s world. The apocalyptically trippy backdrop works to induce anxiety within, while the abrasive, yet volatile lyrical attack gives us no chance but to sit back and listen. The hard-edged, angst-driven vocal is venomous, and by the time the first two lines of the chorus are upon us, it’s clear this is going to be a real awakening. ‘If you ain’t here to uplift, then I’m severing’, a no-nonsense statement, because it’s either about being part of the solution, or being part of the problem.
A triumph of an opus that’s relevant, antagonistic, and driven by inequality…
Elsewhere on the album, tracks like Knowledge | Understanding | Wisdom resonate a confrontational Rage Against The Machine feel. Gritty, politically antagonistic passages force a hardline rhetoric that will leave you fired up. Citing the likes of ICE and class war, it’s impossible to turn away from the brutality contained within these lyrics, the sense of injustice, and the need to call out dictatorship-inspired behaviours from the people who believe they are in charge.
The same is true of For The People, a piece about the dream of urban equality, and how things haven’t levelled up at all; if anything, the divide has become more evident. There is a poetry to the lyricism, and it’s easy to become aligned over the course of the near five and a half minutes.
Normalised Tragedy condenses the soundtrack to a limited, claustrophobic intensity, which helps to push the vocal forward. It’s an anti-establishment anthem, highlighting the media’s grip on orchestrating storylines to suit a specific narrative. It’s a masterclass in being legitimate in a world full of lies and propaganda.
There are also some surprises to be had elsewhere, with tracks such as Expressions Of Love showing a different side to the duo. There’s more of a swagger that levels out the more abrasive elements nicely. This is also true of Substance, which carries a trippy ambience, with a vocal overlaid that covers the subject of being real and true to yourself, instead of being a social climber.
All in all, Brilliance Of A Falling Moon is a chillingly accurate commentary on the state of things in the 21st century. Nothing has changed, and the lies, deceit, storytelling and spite towards each other is still very evident, and rife if you look closely enough. A triumph of an opus that’s relevant, antagonistic, and driven by inequality. This is the world in 2026; we need someone forcing these conversations, and Dälekmay well be the petrol that ignites the Molotov cocktail in the public domain.
Label: Ipecac Recordings
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Lee Beamish
