Dark Connection is the third studio album by Finnish power metal band Beast in Black, released on October 29, 2021. Similar to their debut album Berserk, several songs reference well known science fiction series like Blade Runner. The album charted well, ranking number one in their home country, and did well in Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany.[4] Three videos were produced for the tracks "Moonlight Rendezvous", "Hardcore", and "One Night In Tokyo."
| Dark Connection | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 29, 2021 | |||
| Studio | Sound Quest Studio, Amethyst Sound Productions | |||
| Genre |
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| Length | 59:17 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer | Anton Kabanen | |||
| Beast in Black chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| SonicPerspectives | 8.9/10 |
| Blabbermouth | 8/10 |
| Metal Gods TV | 10/10[1] |
| Games, Brains & A Headbanging Life | 8/10 |
| Distorted Sound Magazine | 8/10[2] |
| MetalStorm | 9/10 |
| Maximum Volume Music | 9/10[3] |
Upon its release, it was praised by both critics and fans alike. Blabbermouth spoke positively on the release, mentioning that it's bursting with blistering riffs and guitar work, combined with deeply infectious vocal work and choruses. "At the end of the day, in terms of art and creativity, BEAST IN BLACK has hit the ball out of the park with album number three."[5] SonicPerspectives praised it, commenting "Having been at the forefront of bringing the worlds of melodic metal and 80s post-disco/synth pop together for the past decade, former Battle Beast guitarist and mastermind Anton Kabanen, and his current fold of veteran metal warriors, usher in their latest studio venture in effortless fashion, proving that what is old can indeed become new."[6] Games, Brains & A Headbanging Life called it a very satisfying listen, besides a few tracks that don’t have as much oomph as others. It's "one that shows just how much they’ve grown and just how bright their future is."[7] A reviewer MetalStorm praised it, and stated it as being the bands strongest album yet; Praising all aspects such as performance, production, overall sound, and album cohesion.[8] MetalMusicPlanet deemed it as being "Absolutely essential listening for fans of the genre and for anyone who just loves any kind of melodic Rock or Metal music."[9]
All tracks are written by Anton Kabanen, except where stated.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blade Runner" | 0:09 |
| 2. | "Bella Donna" | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Highway to Mars" | 5:15 |
| 4. | "Hardcore" | 3:36 |
| 5. | "One Night In Tokyo" | 3:08 |
| 6. | "Moonlight Rendezvous" | 5:41 |
| 7. | "Revengeance Machine" | 4:09 |
| 8. | "Dark New World" | 3:59 |
| 9. | "To The Last Drop Of Blood" | 3:57 |
| 10. | "Broken Survivors" | 4:27 |
| 11. | "My Dystopia" | 5:55 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Battle Hymn" (Manowar cover) | Joey DeMaio, Ross Friedman | 6:56 |
| 13. | "They Don't Care About Us" (Michael Jackson cover) | Michael Jackson | 4:35 |
Beast in Black
Additional personnel
Production