Sands of Time

You hear the sound of water rippling downstream as a synth wave pulses teasingly. Distant, fragmented voices are heard, cascading into a tapestry of disorienting chatter. All the meanwhile a lone acoustic sounds off, meandering about the natural imagery like a lost yeti. Sounds like a Brian Eno record, but in fact this is the fittingly atmospheric prologue to Sands of Time from Russia’s newest death/doom outfit Restless Oblivion.

There’s always been a great deal of outstanding artists flowing from the country, and it’s consistently enjoyed a fledgling metal scene, particularly for brutal death. As is often the case though, most underground bands lack an adequate means of promotion, and that’s where Solitude Productions step in. The label is committed to shedding light onto some of the most promising young metal outfits to emerge from the federation, along with the other former Soviet republics (Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia etc.) specializing principally in doom. Brutal Bands based in Moscow have been doing this for a while, but this is the first time I’ve seen a Russian label strictly push this genre.

With their name taken from the opening track to Anathema’s The Silent Enigma, it’s not too hard to see where the bands influences lie. The record is brimming with the melancholy styling of Peaceville early death/doom, coupled with the crushing harmonic dissonance of more recent funeral doom like Catacombs. Electronic ambiance is rife throughout the record, courtesy of fellow doomsters Aglaomorpha, and it provides an effective accompaniment to the dirge-like riffs and vocals which alternate between the rumbling and the softly spoken. The numerous samples found on tracks such as “Like the Hope of Escape” and “Sands of Time” skilfully crafts an ethereal platform for the music to throw us headfirst into some desolate places. There’s a brief interlude midway through “Our Tunnel Light” that samples an air-raid siren as solitary piano chords build towards a subtle crescendo, which certainly comes out on top as one of the records most striking moments.

Whilst the record succeeds in arresting the listener on more than a few occasions, it lacks the presence of a persistent theme to bind each track together. This isn’t a glaring issue, but is noticeable here owing largely to the abundance of samples and steady presence of keyboard synth, at times creating a distinct void between the nihilism and wistful sense of wonder most prevalent in the prologue/epilogue tracks. This idea of presenting two vehemently contrasting elements is of course very much a positive thing, at least when they are properly interwoven. Here it can feel incoherent, and sometimes makes Sands of Time appear like it’s determined to take two directions at once.

Though this shouldn't downplay the power of the album by any means. It’s melodies are magnificent in scale, elegantly mournful and seething with anguish, like My Dying Bride on top form. There’s no dispute that Restless Oblivion show an acute understanding of what it takes to put out a solid death/doom record, not only paying homage to the genre’s forerunners, but also cultivating an ambitious sound of their own. For fans of death/doom or quite frankly anything remotely doom at all, Sands of Time is an essential purchase. Keep an eye on these guys.

Written for The Metal Observer