Sadness

Well, to be honest, I don't listen to Doom metal like this every day. When I do, it is when I am tired in both mind and body, and alone. Perhaps at this time, such music is most identifiable, and most appreciated and understood.

The guitars stand out to me, with very somber, melancholic and even, in a way, wistful melodies in the leads. when the heavier riffing comes into play, it is always crushing, oppressive - invoking a sensation of colossal burden, a sound that is as heavy as the inevitability of death itself. More than sjut the sense of the oppressiveness of the burden itself, the guitars bring to mind the denials and frustrations of the one railing agaisnt these inevitable forces in a battle against fate.

The other significant instrument in this would be a violin, occasionally helping with the setting of the mood through yet more remorseful melodies, perhaps the sort that would bring to one's mind visions of things now both long-lost and forgotten - images of things that connote the most regretful nostalgias. At times, the violin also provides the canvas upon which the heavier guitar riffs paint pictures of loss.

That definitely seems to be the common theme: loss. What could have been, what never can, what once was, and what will never be again. Such are the thoughts that wander the passages of my consciousness as I listen to the songs of this album.

The vocals are important as well - this singer has a good grasp over what fits in this music, and his voice reminds me, at times, of the vocalist of My Dying Bride on the album, Songs of Darkness, Words of Light - with his softer voice, a voice that speaks almost gently, a lamenting way of speaking that hints at song, that tells volumes of its pain and offers a glimpse into what might be a ray of hope.
And yet, there too, there is a voice of cold power, a distorted growl that is the vocal echo of the guitar when it unleashes its riffs that can be heavier than life itself.

All of the songs are enjoyable, and it provides the perfect music for a night in the darkness of one's home. It is a work of art that is surprisingly good for such an unknown band.

At least to me, this feels as though the band has truly been able to express Sadness through music. The title is apt and fitting - this album is a success.