Markradonn are an Orlando, Florida based project by Haniel Adhar (g, v, b, production, engineering, mix, music and lyrics). He wrote a couple of songs that are based on the Floridian-styled Death Metal scene, but created with a completely different, unique angle. Done with the assistance of several session and guest musicians, his first studio result under the Markradonn-moniker, called Final Dying Breath, turns out to be a Death Metal-oriented form of Extreme Music incorporated with (cf. the bio we did receive) elements from ‘soundtracks’, Brass (mind the addition of trumpet, trombone, horn, baritone, timpani etc.) and traditional / ritualistic / natural sounds (with the Aboriginal tradition more specifically in mind, including didgeridoo and primitive percussions). Mind the synths (!!!), which do give the whole a rather macabre feeling. This somehow reminds me to Phlebotomized (review of their compilation updated in July 2013; check it out), which goes as well for the few grinding moments versus slow-paced Doom-Death alike material, the low-budget production, and the leave-the-listener-confused-emotion. All pieces are pretty varying, going for the speed, melodies, atmosphere and approach. Besides, it comes with elements from many other genres, and with an execution that balances in between the extremes of tradition and progression.
It takes a while before ‘seeing the whole picture’ clearly, for this stuff isn’t that easy to digest at all. Nevertheless it is very brave to focus on a quasi-unexplored aural traject, and giving it a try is the least you can do, at least if you can also appreciate the likes of higher mentioned Phlebotomized, Italian act Sinoath and this specific sub-genre within the metallic complexities.
I would recommend a deeper-thought song writing (the intention, however, are impeccable), a more professional recording process (another studio could offer a more appropriate sound quality), and slightly more structure in spite of the current chaotic effectuation (it would give coherence, which is necessary in order to fully enjoy). But I think Final Dying Breath opens hidden portals to untrodden paths (or at least paths that haven’t been walked on since a long period) and I do look forward to Excoriation Of The Flesh, the first part of this project’s audio-experience gathered as the Ceremonial Abnegation series, to be released in 2014.