Stream from the Heavens

As a natural depressive, I'm inclined to music that matches my mood. Whether that's either slowcore, trip hop, country, depressive black metal or doom metal, I often find myself listening to emotional and depressing music. Thergothon's Stream from the Heavens certainly ticks all the right boxes for me; slow almost dirge like depressive music. Whilst most reviewers have focused on how depressing and inaccessible this album is (both valid points mind you) not as much focus is being placed on just how damn unique this album is.

This album is slow, even by funeral doom standards this is really slow. The music contained within is a serious of endlessly drawn out chords backed by a lethargic drum and bass performance and low, whispered growls. Stream from the Heavens is the embodiment of funeral doom, so much so that this is the album I measure up all funeral doom by. This album, along with Last Tape Before Doomsday and Dooom really personifies what the genre should stand for. Slow, bleak and monolithic walls of sound going through a very slow state of evolution. A previous reviewer said something along the lines that this album conjures up images of a sole person solemn and alone and I am inclined to agree with this statement. This isn't the world ending with a bang, but rather withering away into desolation.

The production is often the most talked about aspect of this release and it is easy to see why. Unlike other funeral doom bands whose guitar tone is huge and all encompassing, Thergothon's is weak, at times almost reaching black metal levels of thinness. Ironically though, the riffs that Thergothon play a much bigger than their contemporaries despite the low production. The weird bassy feedback might be hard to digest on the first couple of listens (understandably so) but with subsequent listens the feedback is revealed as a necessity. The dark, dreary, even primordial atmosphere the band creates is perfectly channeled through the production.

Unfortunately, with such focus placed on the production it is easy to forget the underlying instrumentation. Funeral doom, by nature, is sparse and minimalistic, yet Thergothon takes this to a whole new level. With near drone like levels of tempo, the music feels almost static when compared to their contemporaries. However, there is a lot more going on here than is immediately apparent. There's a clever use of riff changes throughout, with transitions being so seamless they can be missed entirely. Sparse use of strange sci fi sounding synth lines add tonal variation along with the vocals which alternate between a hushed growl and haunting clean vocals. The Unknown Kadath in the Cold Waste perfectly presents the bands variety, where the slow dirge like riffing gives way to extremely melancholic and somber folk like guitar playing. It's a surprising turn of events but one that is no less harrowing.

When compared to a lot of other funeral doom albums this album isn't powerful in terms of heaviness and intensity. Power isn't what the band was going for. But rather a pure representation of depression, whilst many people will most likely criticize the supposed lack of musicianship, the atmosphere and emotion is absolutely flawless and should be judged on that alone. Stream from the Heavens is the absolute perfect album for when you long for something depressing to the very limit of possibility. It's slow, harrowing and painfully hard to digest, yet stands as a testament to all doom metal bands out there. Essential for any funeral doom fan.