Ornamentos del miedo - Vacío como el tronco de un árbol muerto

Ornamentos del miedo is a one man doom metal band from Spain, who formed in 2017.  It’s latest release, “Vacío como el tronco de un árbol muerto,” is its sixth full-length album; three EPs and a compilation have also been released

I’ve been a fan of this project for some time but this is the first time I’ve reviewed an album.  Musician Ángel (Graveyard of Souls, Mass Burial), handles all the instruments and songwriting.  His vision for doom metal is one that is funeral in nature but also very atmospheric.  The compositions on this album are on the longer side but provide many details, both a truly dense and adventurous sound that fully grasps what it means to be doom metal. Most importantly, this album also has a firm grasp on dynamics and how to apply them to this monolith approach to death/doom. 

From the first song to the sixth one, the album has a run time of over an hour but I love how it can go from one end of the extreme to another.  “Vacio Como El….” is one of the most violent, harrowing albums I’ve heard so far this year but it can also be one of the most melodic, majestic ones as well.  It’s loaded with slow, crushing riffs, and abrasive as hell vocals but after diving into these songs, I also discovered a world that is rife for exploration with many treasures waiting.  

As heavy as it is, it’s also gentle.  Atmospheric, minimalist keys/synths oftentimes light the path for the music to follow.  A delicate touch for such a gnarled hand is amazing in of itself but it adds a rare depth to the style that some bands just can’t find.

All six songs flow from and to each other for an experience that doesn’t feel like an hour.  With that being said, it is one that can be enjoyed piecemeal because although each song is part of a greater whole, they are more than engaging on their own.  

The gentle clean tones and ambient passage of the opening song, “Inhalar, Exhalar,” showcase this will be a different experience.  It’s little moments like that that go a long way in adding details that fill up the album’s world.   

Sometimes the opening moments meld guitars and keys together, such as on “Emociones Coaguladas.”  I love the synths, coming to life like the dew dropping on an early spring morning as the sign rises.  The guitar arrives, seamlessly blending in before taking over to turn this bright sunny day into storm clouds.  From here, the vocals and melodic riffs hang over like a monsoon just dropping one unrelenting wash out after another. 

The album is mostly brought to life on a slow tempo but, on occasion, it rises to action through bursts of frightening power, through subtle nuances.   On “Nunca,” around the three minute mark, the drums begin their ascent to this power, bringing with them increasing guitar focused moments until it’s all swirling together, leading to filthy riffs around the 4:34 mark. 

The lead guitar once again adds its venom; around the two minute mark on “Inalcanzable,” the leads help the vocals turn the song into something that might be considered ‘rousing’ but in a way that’s far more clever than just playing fast as hell. It is definitely possible for doom metal to be energetic even with a slow tempo—this song nails that notion. 

As melancholic and downtrodden as this album can be, it can also be a little maddening.  The beginning riffs on “El Devorador De Recuerdos,” twist and turn against the beat of the snare, creating a passage that teeters on the edge of a broken mind.  The middle part of the song is magical—it’s a wide scope of atmospheric wavelengths that wash over everything as its depth pulls it all under.  

The title song ends the album with one of the more straightforward songs, despite its length.  I feel this one really represents the album as a whole because it includes small versions of all the different worlds, dimensions, and ideas that were present in the previous five songs.

Ornamentos del miedo’s “Vacío como el tronco de un árbol muerto,” is an album of insane depth, nearly incalculable to most people who just don’t ‘get’ music like this.  This album is a fantastic presentation on why doom fans love their genre so much and a testament to the power of music that goes against the grain while world building. 

Rating:  Excellent