Throne of Void

Magnificent. Isole have a name that didn't really grab me, so I didn't track this down until overwhelming word of mouth made me change my mind. Incredible that this is only their sophomore effort, though this band has been together in one form or another since 1991. Throne Of Void is so good it's just scary, as so many bands try for years to produce an album that's only half this good. Bands like Forsaken and Orodruin – much as I love them – have never produced a disc this good. This is just a Doom classic, no question or argument allowed.

If I had to compare Isole with one band it would have to be Solstice, the UK's greatest Doom band. Throne Of Void sounds a whole lot like the Solstice classic Lamentations, only crushingly heavy and with better vocals. I even have to give Isole a slight edge in songwriting overall. Guitarist/singer Daniel Bryntse sounds so much like former Solstice vocalist Simon Matravers it's uncanny, only Bryntse is better, with a clearer tone and a stronger voice overall. The sound, the riffs – everything here is first-rate, and the atmosphere is magisterial and grandly bleak. This is a big album, with big songs and a big sound, but it never slips into self-indulgence or wastes time with interludes or throwaway tracks.

I can't say enough good things about this album. Fans of classic Doom Metal should beg, steal, or kill to get their hands on this. If you love Solstice as much as I do, then there is no price too high to pay for this album that is destined to be spoken of in hushed tones of awe. All I can say is that my 'best of' list for this year is going to be awfully crowded. Throne Of Void is essential.

Originally written for www.metalcrypt.com