W.E.B. Darkness Alive Review
W.E.B.
Darkness Alive
Metal Blade Records
2026
Typically, Extreme Metal, especially live Extreme Metal albums, isn’t something I reach for anymore. It’s just not my lane these days. That said, there are a handful of bands that still hold my attention: Rotting Christ, Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth, Behemoth. Athens-based W.E.B. doesn’t come off as a clone of any of them, but the parallels are unmistakable, particularly in their execution, atmosphere, and overall musicianship.
This February, W.E.B. will be unleashing a live album recorded in their hometown of Athens titled “Darkness Alive” To the best of my knowledge, it pulls from various points in their discography. Truth be told, this was my first real exposure to the band, and I went in with tempered expectations.
Live Symphonic Extreme Metal albums often suffer from the same fatal flaw: they’re a chaotic wall of sound that I want to escape from as quickly as possible. “Darkness Alive” avoids that pitfall entirely. The recording quality is shockingly strong, so much so that it borders on feeling like a studio session. Crowd noise is kept to a minimum, the mix is clean, and every instrument is clearly defined. There’s no excessive bleed, no hiss, and none of the murkiness that usually plagues this kind of release. From the opening moments, the album feels inviting rather than overwhelming.
Long-time fans should be more than satisfied hearing how W.E.B. translates their sound to a live environment. As for me, this release did exactly what a good live album should, it made me want to dig into the band’s back catalog and keep an ear open for their forthcoming studio album. For a genre and format, I usually avoid, “Darkness Alive” managed to pull me in, and that says more than I expected it to.
Standouts – “Murder Of Crows”, “Morphine For Saints”, “Into Hellfire We Burn”.