Aphonic Threnody - A Silence Too Old

Aphonic Threnody is a funeral doom metal band from the UK that formed in 2012. Their latest release, “A Silence Too Old” is their sixth full-length album (seventh if you count the re-issue of “When Death Comes”).  They have also released three split albums and an EP.

That's a lot of music and in 2022 they released the massive funeral death/doom opus “The Loneliest Walk.” That massive release was nearly two and a half hours of music across two discs and 10 songs. After that, where does one go? What else can be done?

There is more than enough fire in Riccardo, the driving force behind the band. He always surrounds himself with great musicians but even as they come and go, he is always still there with new and fresh ideas.

Enter “A Silence Too Old,” a strong contender for the band's best album today. Whereas the previous album was a deeply personal, sprawling album, “A Silence…” is more focused with a lot of people on hand to help steer this doom ship. It really focuses on the essence of what it means to be doom and how long songs can be split among extremes on either end, offering variety that is still cohesive. 

Of course, this is doom.  No matter how the dynamics and songwriting interact with each other, this still the audio equivalent of having a really fucking bad day.  But the point is…is that bad day going to ruin your life or are you going to use the darkness for your own needs and harness it?

Riccardo and company harness it well, like lassoing a horse and riding it straight into an everlasting abyssal darkness.  He supplies the bass and guitars—and weaves quite the dark magical experience.  He gives the songs what they need, when they are needed.  From quiet, clean tones that fall like dew through a foggy morning to heavy riffs that tumbled down like an avalanche, his guitar is a beat unto itself.  But his bass must be complimented as well—so many bands, even doom ones, ignore the bass and just have it there for added heaviness.  That’s fine and all but I like it when it makes itself known.  Ricardo’s bass playing across these six songs is just as important of an element as any other, if not moreso.  

But the rhythm machine, even a slow, doomy one, can’t work without drums.  JS (Estrangement) provides the second half of the rhythmic powerhouse.  I’m assuming it is hard to play such slow music and keep the drums interesting but he doesn't have any issues with it–his style is perfect for this album, being neither too heavy handed but not weak either.  He’s adept at complimenting whatever the song needs and that is what makes a drummer great.

Lastly, but never least, is Déhà (Slow, self-titled works, among many many others) who provides the vocals for the album.  Much like Riccardo, he’s a one man song writing machine who has a vast discography under his belt.  But he happens to be a beast of a vocalist, screaming, growling, and cleans are all under his command here. 

None of this would mean anything (other than the ramblings of this reviewer who just realized he needs to shut the fuck up and get on it) if the album didn’t sound great.  And it does.   It seems Riccardo did the mixing and mastering–and nailed it.  The sound is deep enough to handle music of this size, and spacious enough to let it breathe naturally.   Damn, I’m still flapping my jaws here.  Ok let’s talk a little bit about each of the songs since there are “only” six.

“Annabelle,” begins the album with rich clean tones from both the bass and the guitar.  Soon, the distortion hits, sinking in as thick as mud.  The harrowing vocals bounce off these riffs, like some kind of monster stalking the tunnels of an ancient tomb.  By the time the song is three minutes in or so, I realize this album is going to be quite melodic and Gothic in places.  I think those two elements work very well with funeral doom so it’s no complaint on my part.  The song is most effective when the simple, clean tones layer with the heavier aspects.   Aphonic Threnody has always been able to live in two worlds and it has never been more potent than it is here.

“Light The Way,” is a very interesting song and one of the best in the band’s entire discography.  It wastes little time in going for a darker tone, especially with Déhà’s ghastly vocals ripping through the first minute.  But there is a bit of hope in this song—the clean melodies are a little brighter, a slightly less dull shine to light the way in these dark corridors.  I love when Déhà’s cleans mix with the slow but steady rhythms that hit like a sudden storm on a cold night.  Just before the six minute mark, the song goes quiet and liminal spaces grow around a beautifully well done melody.   Afterwards, the song gets rather nasty!  

The title track begins with somewhat serene, whimsical melodies and low, nearly whispered cleans.  Both the instruments and the vocals ride along with the drums to pick the tempo up as the song goes into a drive towards the 4:40 mark where the bass really shows its prowess while Déhà growls his vocals to dust.  Once again, the band blows me away with their transitions from heavy to light; the crushing riffs turn into clean tones for a small passage before the hammer drops again.  This song is a pretty good overview of the album and the band as well!

“Further On,” was the song that grabbed me the most during my first few listens.  The powerful drums open the song in a bombastic way that most doom bands don’t mess around with.  Déhà’s vocals sound utterly inhuman, a very extreme element that contrasts against the Gothic melodies and clean vocals that follow it.  But Aphonic Threnody always manages to make any contrasts work together and this song isn’t any different in that regard.   The halfway mark is built with some of the best riffs on the album too and it makes for a powerful late game presentation of the album’s ability to hit hard and fast when needed.  The last two minutes are deeply moving, with a variety of cleans and clean tones.

The last two songs, “Oath of Nothing,” and “Void of Existence,” are the two longest songs on the album and both are flat out fantastic and epic.  The former is a dirge of Gothic funeral doom that is just melodic enough without losing any of the funeral qualities.  The flow is impressive, never missing a beat or letting a second go unused as the song descends deeper into the dark unknown.  Around the 9 minute mark, the drums sharply attack the atmosphere as riffs pound out an evil tone that wouldn’t sound out of place on a death metal album.  The guitar solo is insane too!  

The latter, and last, song is nearly 15 minutes and gripping the entire way through.  Female cleans open the song, adding an unique flavor and feel.  For the first three and a half minutes, the song is gentle yet immense with its layers.  The excellent tones from the previous song carry on and it’s scary how well they go with Déhà’s blackened screams that he unleashes. At the 10 minute mark, Déhà’s cleans are surprisingly catchy through a sweltering passage before the song turns gentle again…but gets hellish once more to finish the song out.

Are you still with me?  Fell asleep back there after the first 500 words?  Thankfully, the album is more exciting than me.  If you’re a fan of funeral doom in particular, or the darker side of doom in general, Aphonic Threnody’s “A Silence Too Old,” is an album that will take over your listening time.  It has a lot going for it and it demands your attention—and once it grabs it, it won’t let its cold, dead hands loose anytime soon. 

Rating:  Excellent