Sorrowful Land - Faded Anchors Of The Past Review

SORROWFUL LAND is a one band melodic death/doom project from the Ukraine that was formed in 2014 by mastermind Max Molodtsov in 2014. “Faded Anchors Of The Past,” is the project's third full length album; he has also released one demo, an EP, and a split album. This is my first experience with SORROWFUL LAND but I am impressed—this is one solid doom album. This album zeroes in on what makes this style of doom so great. It is appropriately dark and heavy but Max’s ability to write a song is undeniably strong—all eight tracks are well put together. Despite their length and all the content within, they flow  well. The album is a little over an hour long but never once does it get boring or go off the rails.<p>

It certainly doesn’t hurt the album to have a plethora of great guest stars. Pierre Laube (Doomed), Henrik Ekholm (Hadriel), Stefan Nordstorm (Soliloquium and Desolator, among others), Kaivan Saraei (A Dream Of Poe), and Bruno Spell (A Dream Of Poe) all lend their considerable talents to the already very capable Max. The overall sound is slow and melodic, taking almost a funeral doom quality at times but not as cavernous. As the cover art might suggest, the seas may be dark and rough but also wide open to possibilities. Despite the overall sullen mood, this album is a fun and pleasurable listen because I can just feel the love and care that went into its making by all parties involved.<p>

“As Long As We Breathe,” begins the album and I immediately noticed how much the bass pops through the production—great, because doom always needs that low end. Speaking of low end, how about those death growls? Ridiculously good yet I can understand what he is saying. The song is pieced together by well placed melodic leads and back up with intricate drumming and subtle but effective keyboards. All the songs are focused on the instrumental aspect but…..also just as focused on the vocals. It nails them both, as evident in this song. “The Cold Gray Fog Of Dawn,” begins simple but smoky as the images the title might conjure. Through the low hanging clouds of dense, distorted doom riffs bits of melodic, both clean and otherwise, shine through. The cleans and death growls work so well here. The broken, crunchy riffs and the drums keep the song going strong while the lead guitar steers it towards the vocals, which in turn let the bass shine. This song just shows how each piece of this album is put together to benefit the one after it. Amazing song writing.<p>

The death growls on “As I Behold Them Once Again,” are among the best on the album—harrowing but marking the importance of the sorrow laced melodies and spoken word that comes afterwards. The lead guitar rules this song, highlighting each moment for the other instruments to show their prowess yet telling a story on its own. The later half is magical, what with the clever keyboards and guitars that swirl together to bring about a strong finish. “The Night Is Darkening Around Me,” does have a certain feel to it that lends itself to sounding even better after dark. The beginning is simple but the song writing subtleties cannot be denied as more and more layers are added. As this musical tapestry climbs it paints an ever darkening picture. The lead guitar and death growls both compare and contrast each other to the music around them but, much like night itself, it is what you can’t see that has the most impact. The spaces in between, the little moments as the song builds itself speak volumes.<p>

The final track, “When Oceans Calm,” is a nice outro and one that actually fits the mood and atmosphere of the album. After the huge journey my ears just finished, having a nice, serene moment isn’t a bad idea although I wouldn’t have complained it was longer and more detailed. Still, a fine way to end a fine album. SORROWFUL LAND’S “Faded Anchors Of The Past,” is a monumental album full of scope but the song writing and instrumental chops to back it up. There is no way this album won’t be remembered as the months of this year tick by.<p>

http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/s_2/sorrowful-land-faded.htm

Distant - Heritage

Distant is a deathcore band from the Netherlands who formed in 2014. "Heritage" is their third full length album; they have also released four EPs. I'll be up front and honest: I'm not a huge deathcore fan. The bands in the genre certainly have talent but it just isn’t for me. I say this because I want to be understood when I say how good Distant and their album “Heritage” really is. Their electronics/keys are one of the highlights to me because they give the album a sci-fi vibe. They aren’t over used either or relied upon to carry the songs—the myriad sounds and noises help enhance the overall atmosphere and add a distinct flavor to the songs.

The production, as it is with most deathcore I’ve heard, is loud and clean–perhaps too much but it does work in favor with the album’s style. Every little electronic noise can be heard clearly and the guitar riffs are put front in center—unbelievably crushing. This all works out because “Heritage” is an album that is absolutely unrelenting. Most deathcore seem to want to live in a world where extremeness is balanced with other sensibilities but Distant think otherwise. From beginning to end, this album rarely lets up, wave after wave just keeping you under a nearly suffocating blanket of heaviness. I also appreciate the band choosing to NOT focus on clean vocals. I don’t have any issues with clean vocals but they have their time and place. “Heritage” is an album that doesn’t need them and if they were forced in, it wouldn’t sound right.

The album opens with “Acid Rain,” and it is an intro that is actually worth listening to. It segues into the first proper trac, “Paradigm Shift,” perfectly. Dissonant, crunchy, and groovy are the waters the guitars move through, ensuring there is always something to cave your face in. The bass tends to get buried under the riffs and vocals but when it shines, it is about as heavy as a mountain. It definitely adds to the density of the album’s core sound, which threatens to cave the ears in.

“The Grief Manifest,” balances hardcore breakdowns with true death metal. Living in two worlds yet melding them together is never easy to do but Distant seems to be able to handle that task with ease. The vocals have a bit of a blackened flavor to them at times on this song, which only adds more sharpness to an already deadly sound. The electronic elements are well melded into the fabric here, often kicking off a more punishing moment.

By the time I get to “Exofilth,” I realize this band isn’t messing around—they are going to keep getting lower, heavier, and instead of compromising even the smallest percent, they are going to just dig further into their sound. There isn’t anything wrong with that and I actually love it when a band has a full grasp of their sound, scope, and vision. This particular song showcases the vicious vocal attacks of Alan Grnja, proving he is some sort of monster with the ability to absorb and redirect boundless energy.

The guitar solos and steady rampage of the double bass is another fine moment where the death metal influences kicks in just before the famous deathcore breakdown and low growls finish the kill. Another aspect of this album I like is that, despite their feverish approach that seems chaotic, the songs aren’t overly speedy. It isn’t doom but its slow to mid paced approach gives a methodical aspect to the songs that most of their peers don’t have.

“The Gnostic Uprising,” is a prime example of what I’m talking about. What’s heavier…a song that is going a hundred miles a minute or one that acts like a steam roller that slowly crushes you?

The subtle keys/electronics on the title track mix with their riffs and insane vocals to create what I believe is the best example of the band’s sound and what this album was trying to achieve. The mid portion is another romp of death metal before going into a beatdown of epic proportions. The band weaving in and out of styles and approaches like this is when they really nail it all on the head. All in all, Distant’s “Heritage” is one of the few deathcore albums to ever impress me. I like the way they approach a tried and true sound by standing out as individuals and doing what they want—and making it work. Links: https://distantband.lnk.to/ExofilthID

Spotify: https://sptfy.com/distant

Website: http://www.distantofficial.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DistantOfficial

Instagram: instagram.com/distantofficial

Twitter: @DistantNL

Bandcamp: http://distantofficial.bandcamp.com

Nazghor- Seven Secular Crusade

This is really well done melodic black metal with catchy melodies and arrangements. 

https://youtu.be/OW4VtcIX9Io

Ahab - The Coral Tombs

Ahab is unquestionably one of the best funeral dooms. Their discography is small but every album is masterful. They spend a long time between albums but the quality is always guaranteed. This new one is yet again another stellar dark journey unto the abyss.

https://ahab.bandcamp.com/album/the-coral-tombs