Detonation
Portals of Uphobia

December 2005
Released: 2005, Osmose Productions/The End Records
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Asassinkiller

For me, one of the best Melodic Death Metal releases ever has got to be Dark Tranquillity’s THE GALLERY. I still think that no other Melodeath release, (well maybe ATG’s “With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness”) has managed to have the hooks, depth, passion, rawness and aggression that the Swedes pulled with this one.



Surprised I was two years ago when I got in my hands Detonation’s “AN EPIC DEFIANCE, the debut release from these Dutchmen and an American. The sticker on the CD read – The successor of Dark Tranquillity’s THE GALLERY - I had read and heard this so many times that once again I was like “yeah, whatever”. When I pressed the play button and was literally blown away. This stuff was good man; it had that special something that took me back to the experience of listening that 90’s Swedish Melodeath masterpiece.



Now, two years later, the band has once again unleashed a beast under the name PORTALS OF UPHOBIA, and as you have already realized in the rating above, this stuff is really awesome and follows the same path as “An Epic Defiance” did. Pure quality Melodic Death Metal rooted in its beginnings.



PORTALS OF UPHOBIA is full on speed, blast beats and even has a bit of Black Metal atmosphere. At the same time it has lots of progressive elements that fit perfectly well into the music by making it memorable and really punishing. The vokills will remind you a lot of Mikael Stanne and the compositions really manage their goal: to Shred your heart out with a capital S.



Detonation, together with Callenish Circle, is one of the best bands to emerge from The Netherlands in recent years. I really recommend you getting PORTALS OF UPHOBIA if you are an old school Swedish Melodeath sucker just like me. The precision is here, the technicality too and most of all, the passion for quality high-speed melody is also here. Get it! Get it! Kill for it!