Beyond Black Sabbath, traditional doom puts me to sleep. My interest
in the bleak arts is only piqued by the extraordinary; Pallbearer are
precisely that. Sorrow and Extinction is a phenomenal, unique
and irresistible articulation of dysphoria. Enshrouding these
mesmerizing riffs and exceptional vocals, however, is an umbra of
triumph. Sorrow and Extinction transcends mere morosity; there is victory, even in death.
Pallbearer manage, most remarkably, to hold you rapt throughout this
melancholic voyage. Somber harmony is deployed as ineluctable sonic
weapon. These are not esoteric convolutions, but direct and piercing
melodies. Dual guitars and pleasingly present bass ply an engrossing
resonance, interweaving prodigious pulverization with majestic leads.
Each and every riff exists in service of the song; not a moment is
wasted in pointless plod.
Brett Campbell’s outstanding, ethereal vocals are poignant yet
commanding, never lacking vitality. His voice recalls a young Ozzy
denuded of nasality, but the comparison does little justice. Clean
vocals, quite honestly, fail to please my ears at all in this day and
age; Brett Campbell outclasses many a man. Sorrow and Extinction’s
lyrics tread life-stealing astral paths, ponder numinous harbingers of
death, and explore our power to stand up to grief, or to embrace
oblivion, if that’s our choice.
Repeated listens bear out the vivifying drums, which drive and shape
these molten floes. The massive, monumental riffs never feel languorous
within these horological constructs. Calmer passages exude a latent
volatility; rapturous upheavals lurk below. “Devoid of Redemption”
builds to an absurd crescendo, churning an irresistible tempest of
sludge. Sorrow and Extinction is both consolation and cataclysmic
companion. Pallbearer make me want to use my fists to pound and smash,
to lift my arms in raging supplication. Doom just doesn’t do that for
me; Sorrow and Extinction does.
After a hiatus that lasted nearly fourteen years, the two piece
Black/ Doom Ambient Metal band Mussorgski is back with a vengeance.
Sounding just as eerie without losing any ferocity, their latest effort
'Chaos...' is mystical and divine at the same time; those who worship
any sort of atmospheric Black or Doom Metal will fall in love with it.
For those not familiar with the works of Mussorgski the music might
sound quite a bit repetitive such as on the opening "Industrial
Technology...", as it tends to survive on the same notes though lengthy
guitar notes, keyboard, and snarls, whispers and industrial/ ambient
elements. Some usually might consider this 'white noise,' but Mussorgski
has been sure to make the production clear so the beauty of the
ambience can be heard and listeners can still get lost in the music
rather than feel whitewashed by distortion. Other tracks like "7th
Son's..." are a bit louder and are still thick in sound but sound a lot
more Black Metal oriented, or even Black n' Roll with touches of
symphonic elements. This kind of marriage will certainly appeal to those
who like more complex bands like Farsot.
For the most part though, Mussorgski will keep things on the quiet
front in Metal with their music. The twin "Paranormal Divinity" is an
excellent track to get lost in, the first part "Inside" sounding like a
nightmare with whispering voices executed in just the right tones with
swirls of distortion to create the ultimate 'Black Ambient' track
whereas the second half shows off the symphonic side with piano,
keyboard, and just a subtle tone that closes out the album very well
with style. For those who feel that Funeral Doom/ Black Ambient has
gotten too saturated by relying on distortion to create atmosphere, then
'Chaos...' is a great place to re-ignite the fire for remembering how
much skill it takes to create Metal and harmony together in an esoteric
way. Plus, the lyrical/ song title delivery is as chilling as ever,
making Mussorgski's work a true example of 'thinking man's/ womans'
Metal.'
If Swedish doom legends Candlemass had a
manic depressive bastard child with Finland’s Insomnium it would sound a
little something like Dutch band The 11th Hour. Outside of the
soulfully depressing musical effort of “Lacrima Mortis,” the more
surprising fact is that it is the work of largely one man, Ed Warby (who
sings and plays guitar, bass and drums). Warby has the uncanny knack of
making you enjoy sadness and despair so such that you couldn’t even
consider suicide, as death would only prevent you from listening to this
even more.
“Lacrima Mortis” is a sonic masterpiece that should be in the collection
of any fan that considers him/herself a fan of epic doom metal. The
music so effectively captures the overwhelming emotion of depression
that anyone who hasn't experienced it could instantly feel pain and
those who have could easily identify.
In front of the slow deliberate riffs that practically weep with sorrow,
Warby flashes his incredible dead on impression of Candlemass/Solitude
Aeturnus singer Robert Lowe. Juxtaposed to the beautiful rich clean
singing are the death growls of session vocalist Pim Blankenstein
(Beyond Belief/Officium Triste). Blankenstein’s vocals with Warby’s
riffs are a convergence that would make the most bubbly personality sob
with despair. With each successive listen, I have visions of being
slowly suffocated under a truck as it inches ever so slowly on top of me
crushing my chest.
To explain each of the album’s seven songs on an individual basis would
be like recanting each despondent year of a seven year era of anguish.
Suffice to say that they are slow, dripping with tears and fresh from a
funeral for a grave with no name, only this may be one funeral you
wouldn’t want to be skipping out on! The grim beauty of “Rain On Me,”
the “Cry From the Crypt”-esque riff of “Tears of the Bereaved” and the
quiet interludes in the middle portion of “Reunion Illusion” are but
mere glimpses of brilliance that permeate throughout this gorgeous
album. These pieces, along with perfect use of keyboards and violins
(“Nothing But Pain”), all wrapped inside breath taking production have
me declaring that Mr. Warby has risen to the level of “super musician.”
Listeners expecting enticing and uplifting songs need not apply for
“Lacrima Mortis.” However, those who truly appreciate excellent doom
metal that is as much a sonic listening experience as it is an emotion
altering one, The 11th Hour is sure to rise to the top of your doom
metal collection.
Highs: Overwhelmingly emotional and crushing doom beauty Lows: The average song length of 7.5 minutes could prove too much for some. Bottom line:The only reason to attend a funeral for a grave with no name: sorrowful doom is so uplifting!
"[Ed] Warby has the uncanny knack of making you enjoy sadness and
despair so such that you couldn’t even consider suicide, as death would
only to prevent you from listening to this even more."
Woods of Ypres = David Gold. One cannot exist without the
other. Since David put the band together in 2002, they have been
consistently improving with each album. This latest release, “Woods 5:
Grey Skies & Electric Light”, is by far their most polished and
well-written album to date. It features that unique and melodic doom
metal sound that’s caused Woods of Ypres to stand out, and David Gold’s
vocals/lyrics sound better that ever. If you’ve never listened to Woods of Ypres, think of Type O Negative but with a more modern doom metal sound.
“Woods 5: Grey Skies and Electric Light” is almost perfect. My
criticisms of the album are extremely minor and picky though (so I won’t
go into them). With David’s tragic passing, it gives his sorrowful and
death-themed lyrics even more potency, which at some points caused this
reviewer to admittedly tear up. This is the kind of doom metal I want
to hear: disturbingly beautiful vocals accompanied by melodic/distorted
sludgish riffs, ambient orchestral layering, with lyrics that focus on
life’s inherent theme of suffering, occasioned by a little light at the
end of the tunnel. Themes of nature, relationships, work, and death
make up most of this album, with my favorite tracks being “Traveling
Alone”, “Alternate Ending”, “Lightning and Snow”, “Finality”, and “Kiss
my Ashes Goodbye (part 1)”. Woods of Ypres aren’t for everyone though, and if you don’t
want to be emotionally compromised by an album, then don’t listen to
“Woods 5″. But if you’re curious at all, please pay tribute to David
Gold’s memory and at least sample the track I’ve provided below. I
severely recommend “Woods 5: Grey Skies and Electric Light” by Woods of Ypres.
The late David Gold
penned a song called “Finality” on his last Woods of Ypres album,
“Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light.” On the track, Gold exclaims,
“Though we leave the world apart, I, still went peacefully, quietly,
with you, still firmly in my heart. I will wait forever. I wait...,” as
the track then ends with over a half-minute of silence. We reserve a
moment of silence as a way to pay homage and remembrance to those who
have passed. Gold might have been using this section as a way to
remember his wayward lover, but it has taken on a different meaning with
his death. Now, every time one hears the sound of silence, this
listener will be reminded of Gold.
Death, whether metaphorical or literal, made its cold presence felt
throughout the lyrics of Woods of Ypres’ former albums, and this
abstract idea occurs with great frequency on this album, much more so
than “Woods 4: The Green Album.” Songs such as “Death is not an Exit,”
“Finality,” and both parts of “Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)” ask existential
questions about the nature of our relationship with death. Is there an
afterlife (“Death is not an Exit”), does God exist and do I perceive
this force or person in the same light as others (Travelling Alone”) and
does love live on after our light burns out (“Finality” and “Kiss My
Ashes (Goodbye)”)? These ideas have weighed heavily on the minds of
humanity before the advent of civilization, but knowing Gold has
received his answers envelops the album with a chilling synchronization.
As seen on the four previous albums, Gold’s musical output surely
upholds his morose and morbid feelings. While Woods of Ypres offers
track-by-track stylistic surprises, the group’s essence falls somewhere
between Katatonia and Type O Negative. Gold bends his voice in many
directions, from black metal-type shrieks to poppy harmonies, but the
vocal technique that stands out the most is his deep, Peter Steele-like
drones. The treble-wavering guitar tones made famous by Katatonia appear
throughout the album, but are most obvious on “Career Suicide (Is Not
Real Suicide),” “Silver” and “Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye).”
From the flute-like instrument on “Travelling Alone” to the piano on
“Alternate Ending” and “Finality,” keyboards play a crucial role in
defining the album’s feeling of lonesomeness. Much like “Woods 4,”
“Woods 5” is very much a mood album. One can sleep to the album or sit
back and soak up the atmosphere and beautiful harmonies. However,
keeping with the theme of past recordings, the group tempers slow paces
with fast tempos and passages that fall somewhere in-between. Blazing
picks and blurring drum sticks describe the blackened approach taken on
“Adora Vivos” and “Lightning & Snow,” but do not define these
tracks. Both tracks show a dual vocal approach and the latter track goes
through phases of rich, keyboard-generated atmosphere.
David Gold went out not turning his back on his fans. He went out
creating the best album of his short career. “Woods 5: Grey Skies &
Electric Light” shares a common thread with its predecessor, but unlike
“Woods 4: The Green Album,” Woods of Ypres has completed an album that
doesn’t lose its momentum towards the end. The future of Woods of Ypres
is uncertain. If this is the end, then the band and their fans can take
comfort knowing the band created their best piece of musical art.
Highs: Atmospheric, fantastic vocals, great style changes, and existential lyrics. Lows: "Woods 5" takes a certain mood to enjoy. Bottom line:The best album of their career. A must have for fans of goth, doom and melodic black metal.
"The future of Woods of Ypres is uncertain. If this is the end, then the
band and their fans can take comfort knowing the band created their
best piece of musical art."
One of the simplest facts about Zebulon Pike
is that they are a band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After that,
things become much more complicated, as they engage in a genre of music
that can only be described as auditory mad science. Formed in 2002,
every single one of their albums has been a brain-demolishing piece of
experimentation: And Blood Was Passion in 2004, The Deafening Twilight in 2006, and Instransience in 2008. With each release, they have become more dense, more intelligent, more volatile. Space Is the Corpse of Time continues this progression, spiralling out in a universe of it’s own making.
Their band name comes from an American
historical figure, an officer and an explorer after who also leant his
name to Pike’s Peak in Colorado. This is extremely fitting for a band
that goes about the process of writing an album as though they were
launching an expedition. Listening to Space Is the Corpse of Time is
an act of discovery, as if the band were feeling their way through a
new musical landscape. Listening to to depth and sparkle of “Echoic
Worlds” is like watching from spaceship windows as starts are born and
galaxies accrue.
Space Is the Corpse of Time is
incredibly complex and littered with musical references. In fact, it is
possible to treat the listening experience as a game of
spot-the-influence. A chugging riff here will evoke Meshuggah, then an eerie and caustic atmosphere will conjure Bloody Panda, and then the avant, anxiety-inducing drumming will call up YOB. Masters of skillful combinations, Zebulon Pike combine a classic rock aesthetic pioneered by bands like King Crimson with an experimental jazz spontaneity, prog rock complexity and Mike Patton-esque genre-defying energy. But with all the name-dropping, all the references that Zebulon Pike
inspires, at the end of it they are, most of all, themselves. Their
aesthetic is singular. They are a cyborg of a band, a plasma, marrying
the organic and the electric, futuristic instrumentation with a very
human heart. No matter how many times the nebulous “Powers of the
Living” morphs into a new musical shape, it retains a curious, pensive
emotional tone, like a touchstone.
There is much that sets Zebulon Pike apart
from their peers, but a key component of the success of this album is
the intelligence, the deliberateness with which they deploy various
tones and techniques. Every tremulously clean tone and grating bit of
feedback, every bit of blazing speed or anguished slowness is carefully
chosen and incorporated at precisely the correct moment. There is a
moment in “Spectrum Threshold” when a passage with sludgy guitars
suddenly clears, gentles, and the entire piece transforms. There is
something part science and part magic about this style of composition, a
kind of alchemy that takes base elements and handles them just so,
combines them at just the right time and in the right proportions and
suddenly, somehow, there is an overflow of liquid gold.
Zebulon Pike should be
way, way more famous than they are. A band of brilliant composers with
an equal mastery of contemporary classical and heavy metal styles, they
consistently crease genre-defying, brain-melting music that is as
transcendent as it is pleasurable to listen to. Give Space Is the Corpse of Time a listen, let it put down roots in your mind, and I promise you will not be disappointed.
