SolNegre’s ‘The Spiral Labyrinth’ is so good I almost cried the first time I’ve heard it. Doom has been on an upswing in recent years. Just when I think it may have reached its peak (I’m a damn fool, I know), an album like this comes around and completely blows me away. My love for anything under the doom umbrella isn’t a secret, neither is the fact this style of melodic Gothic death/doom was the type of doom I got into first.
So it isn’t a surprise that I’m giving this such high praise but this work is so grandiose within every element of its genre, it represents its sound so well, that even if I didn’t like doom or wasn’t familiar with the genre, this would still put me down on the floor. Considering former Helevorn members Rigel (guitarist) and Guillem (Bass) are part of this band, I never expected it to be anything less than stellar but this....this is a monumental album. These men, alongside drummer Tomeu (Golgotha) and vocalist Miguel (Illogic Creatures), poured their very souls into this it seems.
As such, this is an album that even the most hardcore doom fans will love but I also think it could be a great introduction to the genre for people looking to discover it. ‘The Spiral Labyrinth’ has more than enough depth and layers for the critics to keep coming back to over and over to discover something new. But, despite its length, it flows so smoothly and is emotionally challenging that new fans will find just as much to discover and enjoy.
The production and mixing job is superb--it sounds bottomless and each song is like a drip into a vast ocean that goes fathoms deep. The album's production values help capture each standout moment, whether it is a sudden change in a song's direction or a solo that threatens to bring me down to my knees.
The album is full to bursting at its seems with these types of moments, from the beginning to the very somber end. Let's talk about the opening song, 'Vessel Part 1: The Night Within' because it is a fine example of exactly what I'm gushing over. The song begins with clean notes and an ethereal sound. It is almost gentle, in a way. But I can tell a thread is being pulled and it is about to grow into something much larger. Indeed it does, into a funeral doom type movement where simple but heavy riffs create a dark soundscape. Touches of keys fly about like spirts in the wind, to be there as a haunting reminder of what was and what will be.
The slow and crushing delivery of this doomed mechanism is made vicious due to the vocals of Miguel whose snappy and brutal delivery is commanding. The song takes another turn into melancholic, clean tones that keep the theme going from the previous slow carnage that passed by just minutes before but it just presents it as a different perspective. A guitar solo builds up in the background and when it comes to the front...my god, one of the most moving, beautiful and perfect guitar solos I've heard all year. It isn't great just because how it sounds or is played but also how it pulls the song along with it and everything seamlessly goes back to the status quo.
'Vessel Part II: The Day We All Failed,' also begins on a lighter note but this time with the vocals taking on a deep, Gothic tone. The bass takes the song for a walk, leading it into riffs that shake the ground and a deep growl that might as well be inhuman. The glacial pace alternates between beauty and the beast guitar, the song showing the band is fully capable of being touched by a Gothic embrace. As the song speeds up slightly, melodic guitar gets woven into its fabric---everything in this song just sounds so natural. Much like the first part, this one also includes a mind blowing solo.
The album isn't just about funeral textures and melodic overtones. 'Yours Is a Legacy of Broken Glass and Poisoned Wells' presents the band as a filthy, full formed doomed death machine that can pulverize with the best of them. The bass and guitars really go along way in complimenting each other's style, adding layered dimensions of bleakness to the proceedings. The later half of the song is lifted by double bass and drums that hit hard but also play it smart--they are a rhythm powerhouse and hold the foundation but are interesting and intricate in their own right.
'The Waning Glow,' is all about the balance or, more accurately, how well this band writes balanced songs. This mini epic contains thick riffs, suffocating bass and drums but still finds moments to inject a lot of atmospheric elements into melodic nook and crannies. Each note has its place among the others, nothing needs to be added nor taken away. The mid section is otherworldly keys and drums, these two instruments creating a song world within a world. Then the damn breaks and riffs flood outward and combine with the brackish, Gothic waters.
The final song is 'Ethereal/A Song for Nel,' and slowly sweeps the music into a vibrant but sorrowful landscape. Gadea's clean vocals are just what this song needs and a perfect way to start the beginning of the album's end. Even when the song gets heavy, her lithe vocals never falter or get buried---her shining dark is above all.
SolNegre have written and performed a truly incredible doom metal album and, as of this writing, it is the best doom metal album I've heard in this second half of the year. I would honestly be shocked if this album didn't receive many year end accolades--it certainly deserves it. Doom is the best music in the world and albums like this are why.
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