doom

After only a few weeks another review for 1782, who now release a perfectly balanced and heavy doom-sludge record with twists and turns.

After their awesome contribution to Heavy Psych Sounds’ “Doom Sessions”-Series the band from Ossi, Sardignia, went straight back to work and wrote some more songs to bless our ears and get rid of the cleanliness inside by purging it with fire. The same fire that they hint at in their name – 1782 was the year the last witch was sentenced, tortured and finally killed. The last one in all of Europe! 

More than 220 years later, December 2018 to be precise, drummer Gabriele Fancellu and guitarist / singer Marco Nieddu formed 1782 and had the chutzpah to go straight into recording mode. But this decision was perfect as their first single quickly became a hit all across the continent and now in 2021 they release their second full-length a mere 28 months after their inception. 

“From The Graveyard” is just what the title hints at – it is grave, serene, dark, compelling and certainly scary in a way – if you listen to pop radio. The now trio, after the addition of Francesco Pintore on bass, lays out a carpet of heavy riffs whose tempi are pretty mid-tempo but nicely distorted without ever being dragged out too long. One might say that there is a lot of repetition and fuzz in their sound, but hey – it’s Heavy Psych Sounds, what did you expect? What you see is what you get, and this band once again shows HPS unique standing as one of Europe’s main stoner/sludge/doom labels and certainly Italy’s standout label for all things fuzzy and distorted with a focus on grooming Italian talent. 

The record is a real grower but it is also quite appealing at first listen. Its eight songs spanning 43 minutes of doom and sludge shows you the dark lurking in the darkest corners of the graveyard with voices from the undead speaking to us, trying to lull into a false sense of security. Not false because they will attack soon, but false because you can never leave – the graveyard, the allure of 1782 and the growing attraction this band emanates with every bassline, riff and drum kick. Of course, the first you notice are the fuzzy and yet, somehow warm riffs because they are mighty but the most interesting bit might be the bass. Take “Black Void” for example – the bass holds Marco’s guitars aloft by pushing them to the forefront where they can join his vocals as the center of attention. But “Black Void” also shows the band’s willingness for very moody parts they let the organ-synth-outro slowly fade out for more than two minutes. Interestingly this also works as the watershed in the middle of the record. 

The level of pagan occultism is also on display on the cover where the eye beholds a sea of skulls below a lot of candles and a horned goat in the middle – all symbols being connected to paganism and heathendom, the occult and the witchcraft that ended in 1782. Nieddu’s vocals are not always present because he only seldom uses his voice on the record and very often it has a grave-like quality to it. It sounds as if he is talking to us “From the Grave(yard)”. 

By and large one cannot but congratulate the band for deepening their doom appeal without turning to funeral doom. One might criticize their lack of completely new structures, but is that really something one should expect by 1782? Probably not, because if you don’t you will find a lot of epic and dark structures on this “From the Graveyard”! 


Thorsten

doom / stoner rock

A sound somewhere between Blue Cheer and The Doors is mixed with choir enchantments to conjure the spirits on Kabbalah’s The Omen. Really spellbinding.

Pamplona in Northern Spain is the home to this all-girl trio called Kabbalah and each year a triumphant procession is going through the streets with hooded figures and pointy heads. In some ways these religious respects might be connected with Kabbalah who also teach you a lot about being one with the universe. If you live in a city with such a vibrant spirituality, it might influence young people, too, any way that it can. 

Kabbalah are not religious in a christian sense, but certainly spiritual in a certain sense. Their music is enchanting and rich in keys that would make The Doors’ Ray Manzarek proud. These keys and the synth spaces really carry the whole record in a way that it becomes ethereal and lofty. Combined with a three-vocal melody delivered by all three girls this for a really enchanting record, because that is what their harmonies also sound like: enchantments or rituals to conjure up some spirits that might help them. However, the vocals also are the one negative point that should be mentioned because sometimes they are basically non-understandable. The ladies should really work on their pronunciation. 

Some of the riffs are nice and chunky and the distortion on these is simply good. Then the band sounds like a good spiritually guided goth post-punk band. In one song the riff dominates, in the next one it’s the keys. This shows that Kabbalah really know what is best for each song, and that they develop their own enigmatic attraction song by song. No matter which instrument dominates, one thing is always the same: the melodic value is immensely high behind the eight songs of The Omen, which follows several EPs and one full-length (from 2017). With this record the trio shows once again what well-constructed shamanic stoner might sound like.


​Thorsten

doom / black metal

Louisiana Death-Doomers Kavyk churning out a debut album on Caustic Hollow which is full of dirty fingernails but also some cliffhangers with space to evolve.

Louisiana is the epitome of everything dirty and lardy in America: The heaviest cuisine to threaten your heart, the liveliest city with a flair for the dead, the grittiest sounds to penetrate your ear. The later is of course a result of a lot of really famous Louisiana bands: Acid Bath, Crowbar, Eyehategod, Iwrestledabearonce and Thou just to name-drop a few of them. Another addition might be Kavyk, whose third album was released a few weeks ago via Caustic Hollow.

One thing that is clear pretty quickly when listening to this new band by Barghest members Max Kimmons and Troy Bennett is that they do not care at all about expectations. With Barghest the two have been releasing some really interesting black metal infused death stuff (also on quality label Gilead) and for a few years now, they have also been putting out music with Kavyk. Formed in 2015, the band release two EPs since then and now Radiant Abyss is their debut album and released on Caustic Hollow from New Orleans. 

The five songs on Radiant Abyss are of different quality although they share the same genre, blackened death metal. Depending on the amount of doom elements in the songs, the quality changes. If the songs have some more of these like “Civilized” then they can really impress with longer passages, some slow down elements and beat-ups. But if they are too straightforward and do not vary their speed and musical identity then they can become a bit boring; and the “worst” thing to note here would be the opening title track “Radiant Abyss” - if one doesn’t like the sound the band produces then this track will not necessarily lead them any further. To get this straight: “Cathartic Voices” and “Civilized” are really good tracks and they really demand attention because they very nicely incorporate swirling guitars, some slower passages, a lot of dirt and yet also some of the band’s trademark-blastbeats into an amalgam that requires repeat. 
Here the band shows the amount of work that was put into the arrangement of the songs, the amount of fingernails damaged by writing these beasts. For example the moment when the final track “Comatose Simplicity” steps off the gas and gives the chunky, lardy guitar lines meander into the mists of the nightly bayou. This timing didn’t come out of nowhere. On the other side we have a few tracks that would demand more detail, because they are too simplistic and at times even feel as if they are filling but not detailing the record. 

Taking all of this into consideration, one can say that Radiant Abyss is a cliffhanger of an album – it got its radiant moments, which leave one really wanting more. However, it also has its moments, when one’s mind might wander off into the Bayou looking for a new EHG or Thou-record.


Thorsten

doom / sludge metal

Sludgers from Cork blend in perfectly between ritualistic metal bands and world-music experts showcasing some kind of Irish ritual of ancient times, when the earth was roamed by druids and fairies.

Atmosphere and atmospheric elements can be quite deceiving, can’t they? In the case of Corkonian Doom-Sludgers Soothsayer that can be seen but only at second glance. The band loves to incorporate a lot of field recordings that sound as if they were taken at some pre-Celtic, just-barely-human rituals on the vast fields overlooking the Corkonian coastline between Baltimore and Skibbereen. Want some examples? Shamanic chants, very simplistic beats on primitive drums, some vocal samples like a druid bewitching all those who listen not to miss a second of the following 51 minutes, the howling of wolves, the waving winds on those green tufts of marram grass, enriched with the salt from the sea and woven into the fabric of the people standing close to take part in the ritual or just to watch. 

However, we all know that sometimes things like that can be deceiving and that behind the atmospheric curtain something much more sinister, much darker, much more threatening is lurking. On the other side, these atmospheric elements can also be used in order to hide a lack of song ideas, like an element of disguise in open field. Soothsayer has nothing to hide, they know how to write good songs and how to incorporate all these atmospheric things into a dark, heavy curtain of riffs and relevance. 

These Corkonians develop a mesmerizing concoction of things. Take the opening duo of “Fringe” and “Outer Fringe”: The first one is slowly, very meditatively building and constructing images in front of the inner eye so that we are drawn to it. With the beginning of “Outer Fringe” the samples and ritualistic elements take a step towards the background and a mellow guitar-picked line takes over that quickly gives way for some catastrophically crushing riffs accompanied by galloping drums. At the end the song fades away into the same mediation that “Fringe” provided before, so it is clear that they know how to construct songs and records. 

Another interesting fact about the record: The two longest tracks “Six of Nothing” and “True North” close the album, each with over ten minutes length, each a perfect mix of distortion and gloom, the latter often being there because of the awesome vocals, that are raspy, raw and reckonless but at the same time also intriguing and seeking attention without being fake. The band really knows how to give songs the appropriate length, none of these tracks feels too long or too pumped up; that is a very good quality in sludge bands, because often these bands tend to stretch their songs too long by adding another repetition or another round of swirling chaos. Soothsayer don’t do that, not even on their longer tracks, because they incorporate some other elements to give them variety – some of these can be field recordings, samples or raspy feedback elements.
This also explains the record title – we are witnessing echoes from times past. Musically and also vocally. The mere idea of these sounds also having been there before us explains the construction of album and songs so well, that it is hard to imagine otherwise.

A few days ago, MerchantsofAir had a review on Sepulcros from Portugal who also release their brilliant record on Transcending Obscurity soon; and just like Sepulcros, one MUST reckon with Soothsayer to take a spot on the global heavy music scene as there music is really like the best of several worlds – The Ruins of Beverast, Lisa Gerard as well as Lord Dying and Hymn. It is eerie and wavey, filled with melodies from ancient times and yet heavy, heavy, heavy. There is something lurking behind the ritual, some darker devil wanting to roam the earth and every second glance is worth the while.


Thorsten

doom

When a young band comes up with an impressive album riding the razor’s edge between Death and Doom Metal it should always be noteworthy, just like Sepulcros’s debut.

Sepulcros from Portugal are like a basilisk for they spread fear and incite admiration. The young band will release their debut “Vazio” via metal institution label Transcending Obscurity in March and as this label is known for handpicking some of the finest acts in underground heaviness, one should be sure to check out this mesmerizing record. On their Facebook account the band seems to emphasize the words “Vacuidade Humana” - ‘human emptiness’. This definitely sounds pretty misanthropic and in some way that seems to be another parallel to the monster mentioned before!

Slowly pushing its head out of the abyssal hole it was born and bred in, this venomous hypnotizing monster of a record is able to leave the listener standing still in awe and waiting to be eaten alive by this wave of sound and atmosphere. The band is able to show all elements important for a good atmospheric doom band (or doomy death-metal, if you need another label): Slow acoustic elements as at the beginning of “Hecatombe” where the band really gives guitar heroes NZ and RT the stage for more than two minutes, which are filled with a wonderful intro simultaneously full of relief and mantras just before the drums kick in and the whole song turns into a rollercoaster from slow and melancholic to deep and frightening. And even within this longtrack of nearly nine minutes they are able to find short moments of passage so that it’s not a full-fledged descent all the time. These shorts rest and upwards movements are even more impressive because it becomes clear that this is not a one-hit-wonder band, but that they are here to stay. 

When listening to the vocals by SB it becomes clear that this snake here impresses you with its seductive mix of hellish shouts and screams and purgatorial growls, here the words themselves are probably important (one cannot know without the lyrics) but the most important point – as with many atmospheric doom bands – is the way the vocals are embedded into the sound. Where other bands might use a synthesizer to create some levels or spaces, Sepulcros uses one of the guitar lines to lay out vast riffs, while the other adds some short noisy elements or start to drive the song forward with a beefy riff. And in these moments the vocals are important because they are settled over the initial moments when the riffs start so that the audience is (somewhat) accompanied into this next part. And whenever the vast-laid guitar parts becomes more important again, then the vocals are set an inch further back in the mix so that the audience is also taken by the hand and lead towards the next part. The latter is of course very important for long tracks like these here.

Nevertheless, one should not say that this record doesn’t seduce in a visual level, because it has a cover done by maybe the greatest mind in modern 21st century cover painting – Mariusz Lewandowski, whose covers for Falls of Rauros, Abigaill Williams and especially Mizmore are among the most innovative ones you can find. Yet the Polish painter never seems to fall behind in his paintings, they always hit you as “a Lewandowski”. 

To put it all in the shell of a basilisk egg – Sepulcros deliver an impressive debut for any metal bands and even more so for the small confines of atmospheric doom metal with lots of well-incorporated death metal-elements. One can not but listen to the dense hissing and chanting of the writhing snake slowly pushing itself higher and higher until it towers over the listener who cannot run away because it is also enamored with the sound of the monster which is about to come down and that will not give him rest until the replay button is pushed.


Thorsten

avant garde / doom

Collaborative effort by French bands Greyfell and Endless Floods turns into one of the most charming, mesmerizing and sonically crunchy records of the year. 

I think everybody would agree that having two bands collaboratively write an album and not just going the easy way (one band does Side A, the other Side B) can be a heck of a complicated thing. Just remember the awesome “In the Fishtank” - compilations Konkurrent Records put out: they only worked so well, because they were the result of very spontaneous eruptions of interactions and direct clashes in a Dutch studio. 
And now Rouen-based label Soza / Collective 5024 releases a collaboration record by two fellow French bands, Endless Floods and Greyfell; some guys in Greyfell are also involved in the totally independent label and therefore this is a very “indie” cassette-only release. However, I am sure that there would have been a lot of labels that would have loved to release this wonderful piece of art by ÂGE ⱡ TOTAL (at least in a perfect world, there should have been loads to do so). Why? Because this record is a perfect combination of appeal, avantgarde and ambition. 

Four songs, two “monsters” of more than fourteen and sixteen minutes respectively plus two “short” ones, combine for a total of 42 minutes. All of them killer songs, even the longtracks which are absolute must-hears this year. The band uses some enchanting organ-like synths at the basis of their songs, while they are also not afraid to really riff it out fiercely! The nine musicians involved create a very modern definition of Wall of Sound. In the past, this was always seen as a Phil Spector-thing: using many instrumental tracks, layering them upon each other so that they are much more than the sum of their parts. In some way, ÂGE ⱡ TOTAL also do that but with a very different approach: they do not want to sound mighty, they just are. You have huge riffs laid upon elegant synths enriched with some violins, trombones and, of course, a magical rhythm section; the latter itself is a little miracle, as the two bassists and two drummers involved have never played in one band. That is another fact about ÂGE ⱡ TOTAL: it is very interesting to see such a tight sound created by a collaboration, because it requires a lot of communication what the result should sound like. 

The people involved share a clear , highly ambitious vision which I would describe with ecclesiastical avant-doom. 
Avantgarde because of the incorporation of some very nice machine sounds and noise elements that really support the album, especially on the second track “Carré”, plus some fringy structures and the fact that they do not use choruses, everything is flowing into one direction. 
Doom, well, because the songs are very long, very chunky in parts and highly elegant. Ecclesiastical because of the synth sound; it often sounds like a church organ (hence the connection to doom as well). But you might also say it is pretty hard shoegaze as there are certainly some elements of it, for example when you have the long vibratos of a single guitar note in contrast to long reverbs of a riff. 

Interesting is the combination of that wall of sound with the vocals, as you have four vocalists sharing duties and each seems to bring something individual. We have some slightly ethereal lines, some good harsh growling, some mighty (maybe even poppy?) clean sung parts and sometimes also spheres where they all add up to one mighty choir (for example in the last track “The Songbird”).

One thing is very clear to me: This record needs to be heard. It is as much My Bloody Valentine as it is Isis, it is equally psychedelia and doom, having pop appeal and street dirt. If you told me this was the result of a longstanding and highly experienced band I would believe you as this does not sound like two bands working together. And that makes this record even better, even more enjoyable, more admirable. Two units sharing one vision and becoming one mind-blowing collective that release a record that will hold up for a long time. 


Thorsten

black metal / doom

A few months ago MerchantsofAir featured a review on the brilliant record Quelle by Belgian blackened doomsters Briqueville. This week we basically have the vice-versa record, some doomy black metal by Belgian band Alkerdeel in the form of their new record Slonk.

When listening to Slonk it is clearly noticeable how much the band dives headfirst into their hurricane-like ‘symphonies’ and how much thought they give to their songs. That becomes obvious when you look at the lengths of the four tracks – they range from 5:30 to 13:33 minutes and each song is exactly as long as it needs to be which means that we cannot talk about doom metal or black metal alone – it needs to be a mix of both. 

The songs are often centered around an interestingly produced combination of fast riffs that are harsh and open at the same time, but being a simple black metal band is not enough for the foursome from Gent, which evolves more and more into a new Seattle, just think about the amount of awesome bands from there plus the amazing label Consouling Sound: just like Sub Pop and the bands around it dominated the hard rock scene in the late 80s, early 90s, Gent seems to be the place to be for everything between ambient drone and black metal; and Alkerdeel has been an important part of this scene for more than 15 years now. 

Slonk is their fourth full-length and the follow-up to 2016’s Lede and their fifth release on Consouling Sound by now. And it features a band that tries to challenge its audience by not giving them anything fashionable and resting or peaceful, this record is not blackgaze or atmo-bm, this is in your face in a sense that you should not listen if you do not want to be literally taken by storm! The band is able to very subtly change the pace of a song by slowly picking up a notch or two without the listener noticing – a good example would be the opening track “Vier” which goes from a very ambient-like track to a doom monster and then ends in a black metal cascade of fighting riffs and blastbeats. The band also incorporates a lot of grinding, buzzing noise into their songs which gives them some kind of similarity to an act like Gnaw their Tongues with whom they already released a collaboration album. Slonk shows that Alkerdeel are just one tight unit after 15 years together and one should not be surprised by that but the precision one can witness on this record is really impressive. 

However, when talking about Alkerdeel records one should not forget to talk about the lyrics and the concept behind the record. The lyrics, well, they are not understandable – and that is not because of the screams by Pede but because of something very unique: they use a dialect from their native Belgium and, as if it wasn’t enough, they use the old form of that dialect, the kind of words used by the elders – how should anyone outside of that batch of people have any chance. And to top it all of, Pede also likes to use highly ambiguous words to make it even more unattainable. But that does not mean, that there is not some kind of idea behind Slonk. The record is about the four elements “Vier, Eirde, Zop, Trok” (Fire, Earth, Water and Wind) and everything is interwoven with a kind of mysticism that has to do with a language developed in the 16th century by English writer John Dee that is called Enochian Key. John Dee used this language in his journals and said that angelical was the language God spoke with his angels and was used by Adam to name everything on earth. The record shows some elements of Enochian Key as interpreted by the artist who created illustrations to represent each of the elements accordingly. When looking at these illustrations one for sure at once knows that they represent speech or words but which language, which words, which code – that remains hidden. And as singer Pede said in an interview that was something that Alkerdeel was all about – hiding stuff in their songs. Well, you can hide a lot of things under these brilliantly arranged cacophonies. 

Alkerdeel once again shows that black metal from Belgium or the Netherlands is amongst the most intriguing and that this quartet is one of the most intriguing of the lot, because they demand a lot of attention while giving you some small tidbits to chew one which then turn out to be so tasty and amicable that you cannot but gnaw for teeth on them until you might come to a conclusion about what you are digesting for yourself. If that is what the band intended? One will probably never know, but isn’t that part of the game?! Yes, it is! Or isn’t it? Don’t ask Alkerdeel. 


Thorsten

doom / gothic metal

I was fearful that an underlying sense of pride and bias would creep into reviewing an album from a band that hail from my home-town of Cork, Ireland. However, I'm confident you will find that after immersing yourself in this album, you'll agree that all the positive feedback it has received to date is on merit.

The Grief was a coming together of incredibly talented musicians from the Irish Metal scene. "Corr Mhóna" and "For Ruin" are well respected bands and have released some quality material between them. However, in 2016, their nostalgic and deep-rooted love for all things heavy, dark and gothic forged the creation of The Grief.This is an album the has manifested itself from two EPs that were released in 2020. "Ascent" was released in February and "Descent" followed in October. These two slabs of rapturous, doom inspired works are the ingredients of "Horizon's Fall".

So, to the music! "To a new dawn" opens proceedings with some sentimental, melody-driven hooks and riffs. Lush dual guitars fill the air, giving scope for the soaring clean vocals of Stephen Quinn to elevate the song to another place. Those of you of a certain vintage will acknowledge and rejoice in its Paradise Lost inspired splendour. The gothic and doom metal of the 90's is ever present throughout this album and is a joy to hear when it's done as well as this.

Next up is the herculean and impeccably delivered "In Defiance" which is crystalline in delivery, with clear vocal harmonies and mellow tones to begin. However, the tide shifts unceremoniously, and the song takes on a more sinister facade with the guttural vocal delivery that ensues. Stephen's vocal range is a joy to behold, but in this vociferous duel, the clean vocals win out and reach some truly lofty heights before the twin lead guitars see out the track.

Harsher and more aggressive moments are found on tracks like "sunder". Its bleak and harrowing delivery gives it huge presence and the promise of a classic live track. I can hear echoes of Mourning Beloveth rumble in the distance through both the dense and airy sections of this track. With this release, they've managed to capture all the atmosphere and theatre that the "doom metal" genre is renowned for.

The ebb and flow of this album is well anchored and is meticulously maintained by the drumming of John Murphy (with Con Doyle now taking the sticks) and the equally talented Kieran O Leary on bass. It's as diverse a release as can be expected in a genre that feeds off dark, slow tempos and weighty restraints.

Each of the nine tracks really pack a punch,and deliver melody and menace in equal measure. Tracks like "The Ascent", with its infectious lead hook, and its subdued vocal delivery is a joy. This is followed by "Den of thieves" which is equally as polished and memorable.

The  talent and the confidence in the guitar work on this album is truly something to behold. From heavy downtrodden riffs to great swells of grandeur, the tone is rich and full, but still has that heavy and commanding presence. It's fair to say Paul Quinn and John Murphy are true craftsmen and are a real driving force.

To summarise, Horizon’s Fall is a polished and well produced piece of "Gothic Doom" that can stand shoulder to shoulder with anything that's out there today. I would even go as far as to say it wouldn't have looked out of place back in the 90's either. Comparisons will be made with the likes of My Dying Bride, Katatonia and Paradise Lost and that's justified recognition to the talent these Cork boys have in abundance. Even the artwork that Slava Gerj produced for both the album and the Eps is a triumph. An album cover can do so much in setting a mood and giving the music more meaning and reverence. I look forward to seeing what 2021 will bring for The Grief.

Pat O

psychedelic / stoner rock / sludge / doom

Heavy Psych Sounds is an Italian record label that is well-known by lovers of everything heavy and fuzzy; they are specialized in records from the outer fringes of the musical spectrum from obscure vintage or original 70s rock to modern sludge. As long as it’s heavy and got some kind of soul, it can be found on Heavy Psych Sounds. 

Last year, the label came up with an idea that most people would file under “megalomaniac” - they started a split series; splits are already difficult enough as they should show the strengths of each participant (usually two) and also add up to something more than your average single-song release by two bands. The participants and their body of work should go together, their attitudes and their aim in doing such releases. Heavy Psych Sounds by now has released two such with the third one to be out soon and man, these releases are really one gigantic ride also because of the bands involved. 

To get the things together, one really has to stay calm in order not to be too enthusiastic because of the level of perfection involved in this series: Heavy Psych Sounds have always teamed up a rather well-known band with an awesome “newcomer” and each band and the bands deliver somewhat between 5 and 20 minutes of music. The series has grown with each release and the next one will definitely blow your minds. But, step by step.

On July 17th, Doom Sessions Volume 1 was released and featured Italy’s Deadsmoke and the UK masters Conan. The latter contributed a cover of the Horn song “Beheaded” (and as such is not found on any streaming service), while Deadsmoke contributed two songs and really outdid themselves on this one as they really keep up with the British legends of slow decay and rattling rage.

Two months later, September 18th saw the release of Vol. 2, this time with Greek monster smashers Acid Mammoth and Sardignia’s fuzzers 1782. Both bands unleash some wild satanic new songs to finally give praise to the heavy riff that doesn’t speed down your neck but rather slowly throttle you till you have to praise the horned one. The first Acid Mammoth track on this release, “Black Wedding” is one mighty prayer to Louis Cypher himself.

On February 26th Heavy Psych Sounds will unleash the next beast: Vol. 3 with one of the biggest names in sludge metal contributing three songs: San Diego’s (16) joined the fold and teamed up with Grime from Trieste, Italy. And of course, now many will think that (16) outshine their Italian partners in fuzz, but let me tell you: this Northern Italian trio knows how to keep their own, as they themselves are no bloody newcomers, but already playing their version of heaviness for more than ten years now.

When looking at all these three releases and the history of Heavy Psych Sounds and their roster, one can only imagine which further matches made in hell the guys from Rome come up with next. Whatever combination of artists they choose for Vol. 4 – I think these splits can be bought without hesitation. One will be rewarded with a collection of stuff that will soon go down as collectors items in many circles. Or to use the best promo text I ever read:

“This recording will make you feel sensations that you have never experienced. We advise to listen to it at high volume, in the dark and possibly with lit candles. Don’t be afraid to see strange things, it’s part of the game!” (from the cover of Vol. 2)


Thorsten

doom / dark metal

When a band tells you that they come from a “depressive town”, and that they were inspired by the “Finnish Gothic” movement of the 90s, then you know that you are not up for some light listening. This is really dark metal from the “lightless” side – which is also reflected in the lyrics, but a few words about that later.

The band was formed in Trieste, Northern Italy close to the Croatian border – an often overlooked area east of Venice, overlooked by foreigners. Hadal formed more than ten years ago in order to procure some new breath in the genre that they loved most, a metal compiled of one part death, one part gothic and two parts doom metal. They have not released very much, also due to some line-up changes. Last year they came back with December, their second full-length for which they wrote some new songs and re-arranged some older material. 

The songs wear their origins on their sleeve, indeed:  There is more than a pinch of Paradise Lost, a good measure My Dying Bride but also some stuff like The 69 Eyes or Swallow the Sun. Interesting is the fact that you can also hear a few more death-metal inspired moments, like the blastbeats at the beginning of Nothing Here. Remarkable is definitely the songwriting because the music is really interesting and keeps one listening closely. The band is able to write really good riffs and structure their songs in a variable manner, slower parts with small, semi-acoustic pickings intersperse the heavier structures. Sometimes, one can even hear a few classic rock-reminiscences, when the guitars seem to gallop into a riff just before they slow down again to make space for the next rather elegant parts. The musicians are not only well-experienced, but also well-skilled on their instruments – that can be said for the rhythm section of Teo on bass and Daniele behind the drums, but also for guitarists Max and Franco. Interesting is also the vocal range of Alberto, who is a really good singer and has full command of his voice, no matter if it shall be some clean singing or some hard growls, he can even keep an opera-like falsetto for some moments. 

But as I said before we must talk about the lyrics. The most dominant atmosphere on December is that of a very elegant eulogy, a eulogy held by the narrator and for the narrator. It is dark and sometimes reminds me a bit of the lyrics you’d find with Depressive Black Metal artists like Kall, Lifelover or Xasthur.  On the one hand, there are some interesting ideas like those expressed in The Obscure I: “I know the house / at the end of the road / I’ve seen the well, / how deep is it? / I cross the gate beyond any light / Erase the fear, the silent enigma”. However, on the other hand some of the lyrics are a bit lifeless and a bit too stereotypical, for example the opening lines in December: “A frozen wind is blowing wild / A frozen moon is shining / A dying sun will rise no more / a dying soul is fading” - the parallelism between outside world and inner conflict is always interesting but the images are too familiar. 

If Hadal puts more time into these lyrics and – at the same time – keep up the good musical value itself, then they will soon find more lovers worldwide. But please, don’t keep them waiting another five years! 


Thorsten