Theia

As I entered the “must-discover-new-doom-bands” mode, first band I discovered was Self-Hatred. Although the band was formed in 2014 they are still a fresh name on European doom-metal scene. “Theia” is their first full-length album released through the Solitude Productions. And this band from Czech Republic is to say something worthy. So what do we have here?

The CD brings us 7 compositions (while one of them is an instrumental thing), up to 40 minutes of solid death-doom riffing with a distinct black-ish feeling and a Swedish-influenced sound. Since the very beginning well-harmonized heavy guitars lines make their attack on our ears with crunchy riffs adding a lot of tremolo picking here and there. All songs appear as mid-tempo guitar-oriented stuff but you won’t find any guitar solo here.

The band managed to create kinda strange atmosphere on the record. I’d say their music would fit great for some horror-movie. Not only once I caught myself thinking of that. The music itself is dark, haunting, aggressive and gloomy. Somehow several moments remind me of very early Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride works and all of a sudden – early Graveworm stuff!

Yet I have to mention the vocals on the album. We can hear different singing stylings on this one: middle-pitched growls, high-pitched screams/shrieks and spoken parts. Great contribution to the atmosphere itself is made by the female singer of the band. Her quasi-operatic soprano “oohs/aahs” add that tricky “horror” vibe to the whole album and it suits good.

Overall – a solid first record from a band that I believe have potency to show us some more cool stuff in the future. My favorite track so far is “Self-reflection”.

I came across this band while checking out the many death/doom metal releases from 2016. Self-Hatred is a Czech band with a strong focus on atmosphere. The competition in the death/doom field seems to get tougher by the day, with new acts popping up everywhere. It's becoming a game where you have to do more than simply rehash "Brave Murder Day" to succeed.

As I said earlier, the focus on "Theia" is generally on creating atmosphere. One band I would compare in terms of pulse is Holland's Officium Triste, but this has more a funeral doom edge musically. The landscapes are bleak and discouraging. I do feel that the emotional impact could be bigger, since there isn't really that much going on in terms of hitting the listener. This is a dulling album, rather than a evocative one. The bleakness is accentuated by a sludgy production job that evens things out rather than creates dynamics. Even though the band picks up the pace with a blastbeat part here and there, it rarely becomes energetic. It works both ways though, because the hypnotic factor makes it play well as a full album.

Guitars are basic and usually play open power chords or 4/4 rhythms. 4/4 rhythms aside, it's almost notable to hear a new death/doom so devoid of "Brave Murder Day" influence. Instrumentally, this sounds more like funeral doom in a slightly higher tempo. This is also true for the keyboard and organ parts, which have a strong funeral doom influence. I especially hear a lot of Skepticism in the organ sound. The keyboard presence is a positive part, since it gives the basic guitar progressions some necessary extra bite. I'm not really that big on the usual funeral doom deal with 18 minute songs, so the 6-7 minute compositions on "Theia" work better for me.

Vocals are a combination of low end growls and Agalloch style black metal vocals. There are also some funeral doom styled choirs present. The vocals do the trick, but I would've liked some more hooks in the songs. Overall, they tend to match the brooding music without really leaving any impression of their own. I guess this won't be a problem for most doom enthusiasts though, since it's rarely a genre you listen to for big choruses. Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for arena rock here. However, having a few strong growl phrases pop up in my head would be nice.

The focus on "Theia" is undeniably to go all in on atmosphere. The result is a decent death/doom metal album that comes across as competent without being extraordinary. Pretty good for a debut. It will be interesting to see where the band goes on from here. There is certainly potential for good things in the future.