The Slow Death

As if the name didn't give it away, The Slow Death is a death & doom metal project hailing from New South Wales, Australia, who are seeing their eponymous 2008 full-length debut reissued through Aurora Australis, probably the best doom-related label I've caught down under. From the cover art alone and band moniker, you'd probably expect this to be some righteously grim shit, but you'd actually be surprised that this is one of the more eloquent and graceful acts of its kind. In fact, they're one of the rare death/doom groups in the past 5 years that I'd actually consider 'catchy', due largely to the constant glaze of guitar melodies, succinct & memorable use of pianos and synthesizers, and the eerie, beautiful vocals of Mandy Andresen which set a nice contrast to the sustained death grunts of Gregg Williamson.

Of course, with tracks ranging from 12-18 minutes, you kind of have to hold the attention, and that's not always the case here. But to The Slow Death's credit, they generate enough versatility across the five songs and 70 minutes of content that no two really sound exactly the same, even if a number of the tunes could use a substantial edit down to their more interesting components. This isn't much of a problem on the 'shorter' pieces like "Grave" or "The Slow Death" itself, but certain I felt myself losing focus through "The Prodigal Sun" and the whopping finale "Dark Days". Drudging, low-tuned guitars are performed in the vein of old Paradise Lost, Anathema and My Dying Bride, with simplistic chord patterns that sound familiar but not entirely derivative; thankfully multi-instrumentalist Stuart Prickett (an Aussie underground veteran who also plays for the killer Backyard Mortuary) is steadily engaging us with loads of harmonies and melodies, some gently tapped and others phasing off into a distant, dying light, so there's not a lot of space here for the chord progressions to become dry.

Andresen's keyboards are hardly uncommon throughout the album, and usually fall under two sounds: a raw, orchestral pad as found in the bridge of "The Prodigal Son" or the intro to the band's namesake, or simple and elegant piano lines woven into the somber rhythm guitar progressions. On one hand, they tend to sound a bit cheesy, but at the same time they give the music a broader sense of scale and involvement than if they had just barebacked these tunes with the guitars alone. I can't speak so highly of the bass and drums, sadly, because the former is just not much of a presence through the album, and the latter are programmed. I'm generally of two minds when it comes to the practice: do they disappear into the background and do their job, or do they add some outside element or atmosphere (alien, industrialized, etc) that makes the music feel fresh. On a death/doom record of this caliber, they simply didn't fit for me, especially where the beats become more intense as the band picks up into a busier riffing sequence ("Dark Days"). They're not exactly a deal breaker here, and I've read that Prickett has corrected this issue on their sophomore with a real live drummer, but it would be dishonest to say they weren't somewhat of a distraction.

Otherwise, this is about 50 minutes of spot on, solemn and emotional escapism with about 20 minutes of overkill. I realize it's a 'thing' in this genre to swell up the songs beyond 10 minutes, but really, they need to either hit a climax (or several climaxes) or generate a hypnotic effect to succeed, and a few of these tracks definitely don't have that sort of structure that keeps you at the edge of your seat awaiting the next explosion of sorrow. Plenty of good riffs here, a tasteful dab of clean guitars, and both of the vocalists excel in their respective ranges, especially the layered, choral outro to "Dark Days", but are some segments I'd cut out of there. Lyrically, they manifest the usual Gothic-laden imagery of isolation, loss and regret, reminiscent of My Dying Bride, but there are some well-composed lines in there that show a sense of effort and seriousness (we're not talking Hooded Menace kitsch here). Ultimately, this was a decent album with solid hooks and respectable composition...it has its problems, but definitely made me wanna track down the sophomore to experience the changes. Recommended to fans of Draconian, 90s MDB, Isole, or anyone seeking a lighter, catchier alternative to that other Australian doom mainstay Mournful Congregation.

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http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

The Slow Death is a little underground doom/death project that I've been following for quite some time now. Featuring members from various doom and death metal bands around Australia (and, most recently, Brett Campbell of Pallbearer on lead guitars!), it would be much more appropriate to consider them as a collaborative project as opposed to a regular band. Overall, the musical mastermind of the project would be multi-instrumentalist Stuart Prickett, whose brilliant work in Stone Wings is being continued through this project. Second in command would be Mandy Andresen, who contributes all clean vocals, keyboards, lyrics, and artwork. As a big fan of her solo projects (particularly Murkrat), I was initially interested in this upon knowing that she was involved. Lastly, we have Gregg Williamson, whose deep gurgling grunts reflect an appropriate talent for a death metal vocalist.

Overall, the work of The Slow Death is exactly what I had been hoping to hear around the time I discovered them. I was hoping to find some sort of revival of the primitive and gritty sounds of 90's doom/death metal. What's refreshing is that, while melodic elements like clean female vocals and pianos do have a big part in the music, the music is very far from the romanticism that can be associated with the likes of Anathema or My Dying Bride. If anything, this album leans more on the funereal side, with more of a terminal and desolate tone to its sorrowful compositions. Over the course of five epic tracks, this concept album unfolds an audial interpretation of The Bubonic Plague. Typically, I don't pay much attention to lyrics. However, something I find unique about The Slow Death is that their albums are both concept albums, which tell well-written stories of futile extinction. Reading the lyrics weighs in all the more on the listening experience for me, perhaps even enhances it. Through solemn soprano singing and low death growls, the horrid tale of sickness and famine is narrated over driving riffs, gloomy clean guitar breaks, and some very gorgeous lead sections.

'The Prodigal Son' makes for a simplistic, yet effective, build-up for the rest of the album. The first half of the track is very vocally driven, consisting of an interplay between the ethereal lines of Mandy and the monotonous grunts of Gregg. The ending leaves more room for guitar and some faint keyboards to harmonize before fading out. 'Sickness' feels more like a kickoff point in the album, where the mood truly begins to grow dark. A long clean guitar and keyboard intro provides a very sleepy and ambient atmosphere before a funeral-paced riff and Gregg's brutal voice come in, providing contrast to the more upbeat tone of the first track. Mostly pursuing a dirge-like speed, the song only picks up for when Mandy's part comes in, singing of the inevitable demise that is to follow in the next three tracks.

"...and all who live are soon to die
The Doctors of black shroud and beaked face
Soldiers and servants, the sinners and chaste
The miasma lingers, the evil air
Permeates every alley, every house, every room
He fled, never knowing he could not escape his doom."

Like the opener, title track 'The Slow Death' shows the bands more upbeat and melodic side, though this track is a bit more of a slow burner and takes longer to build up. Perhaps the most inoffensive and accessible track of them all, the song opens with keyboards and some more dramatic vocal lines from Mandy. While her voice is more monotonous and grim on the other tracks, she shines with emotional and angelic melodies that match the unusually hopeful sounding lead that carries throughout the song. Aside from a drudging interlude of grunts, droning riffs, and piano, the clean vocals and leads truly make the song in this case. 'Grave' (as you could imagine from the song title) is the most mournful and funeral doom-based track. In fact, I find the song particularly similar to 'When Nightfall Clasps' by Funeral on their Tragedies album. Both have the same sluggish congregation pace, and a similar song structure. Mandy's harmonizing chants line the beginning and end of the track, while most of the vocal parts are handled in Gregg's sinister narration. The guitar interlude is a standout point for the album; melodic leads are layered over bleak clean guitars, while gentle synthesizers add to the desolate atmosphere with a light and windy texture. Closing track 'Dark Days' is a 18 minute epic that effectively captures both the band's upbeat and utterly miserable sides. The first half of the song varies between grunts and a galloping melo-death metal riff, with depressed soprano crooning and crushing slowness. The second half of the song favors the latter, concluding the tragic story with a repetitive funereal riff and ethereal choral singing.

My only reason for doing this review track-for-track is because I view The Slow Death's works more as long story-line compositions, as opposed to songs within an album. For this reason, it's not an album that I listen to frequently, and I'm sure that will be the case for a lot of people. It's great, profound music, but the monstrous song lengths and outright bitter mood of the music can seem a bit overwhelming, whether you enjoy this kind of metal or not. Some other turn-offs for others may be the drums, which are programmed. While I typically despise programmed drums, they have a mechanical and resonant clash to them in this particular instance, as opposed to the weak and synthesizer-based drums that one may hear in a typical one-man funeral doom or black metal project.

Honestly, there is nothing about this album that I can't appreciate. In my opinion, The Slow Death have successfully brought back the sepulchral sounds of early-Funeral, Paramæcium, and Thergothon. Though my expectations aren't high, it'd be nice to think of a time when they'll be reminisced among as one of the more underrated doom/death metal groups of our time. In comparison to modern bands, their sound lies closest to Mourning Beloveth, Shape of Despair, and Doom:VS.

Australian Death/Doom Metal band The Slow Death was formed in 2007 by members of Stone Wings, Murkrat and Corpsickle. This self-titled album is their debut release. The album only features five tracks, but in good doom metal tradition, these are shockingly long, making the album clock in at over one hour and 10 minutes.

I’m not a Death/Doom Metal expert, so I can’t really compare the music on display here to any of their genre mates. I can however give my humble opinion on the quality of the music, and I must say: this sounds pretty great.

The crushing and tremendously slow guitar riffs form the basis of The Slow Death’s music. There is also a big role for the keyboard, mainly used for creating the underlying atmosphere of the songs, although there are some passages where the keyboard takes the lead role. This, and the fact that the band incorporates some faster parts (not exceeding mid-tempo though), ensures the songs remain interesting, despite their long play time (the shortest song clocks in at nearly 12 minutes, while the album closer “Dark Days” is a whopping 18:30 long).

Great thing about The Slow Death is that they managed to write some excellent songs. The riffs are melodic and interesting and the keyboard melodies give the songs an epic feel.

The vocal duties are shared by the male Death growls of Gregg Williamson (who’s day job is singing in a Death/Grind and a Brutal Death band, giving you a rough impression of his vocal style) and the clean female vocals of Mandy Andresen. Everybody who has read some of my reviews knows I am a sucker for female vocals in metal, so no wonder I am most enthusiastic about Mandy’s contributions. She has a crystal clear operatic voice and really shines on this disc. Luckily though, I also really like the guttural vocals that play a big role on this release. The growls are very deep, making for an optimal contrast with the female vocals.

The production quality is top notch and the artwork and overall look of the release is the icing on the cake.

Recommended!