The Medea Project - Kharon

The Medea Project is a doom metal band with origins from South Africa, although according to their Metallum page, they are now based in England. 

I first discovered this band way back in 2020, when I reviewed their debut full length album, “Sisyphus,” for Metal Temple.  I’ve always wondered what happened to this band—apparently, I missed the fact they have released two EPs since then.  

I was certainly eager to make up for lost time and dive into “Kharon,” the duo’s second full-length album.  It was worth the five year wait—this album is fantastic!  The sound is rooted in doom but death, black, sludge, and even some folk elements are used in combination–it’s an eclectic sound with its own signature atmosphere.  Their press release calls them “Dark Primal Gothic Doom.”  I’d say that is pretty damn accurate.  

The production is impressive—it has a raw DIY feel to it but still manages to sound professional.  The mix is on point as well, all the varying elements of the band can be heard with ease.  Nothing buried, nothing lost. 

There is a ritualistic, tribal feel to the songs—and it makes the music sound all the more potent and savage.  Much of that atmosphere is generated by the drumming of Pauline—she really absolutely fantastic at having a strong presence while also playing in an atmospheric way.  And through all that she still holds up the band’s strong foundation.   Guitarist/vocalist Brett laces each song with a lot of kick ass riffs but can just as easily switch moods/styles when the song calls for it.  His death vocals are immense—still some of the best around.  His cleans are unique and fit the band’s sound perfectly as well.  

“Absence, In Loss,” is a perfect opener because it lets the listener know exactly what they will be getting into.  Guitar reverbs through the air as echo clean vocals float their way through a wall of sound that ever increases towards the 1:30 mark, where the song explodes with doom riffs, crashing drums, and devastating death growls.  

The band is at their best when they let their Gothic doom shine through, such as on “Purgatory Trapped.”  The clean guitars open the song, foreshadowing the darkness to come.  The intensity builds gradually—the band is extremely well versed in this craft.  A piercing growl after the two minute mark drops the hammer and the duo crushes through.  Their music is so intense yet delivered in a smooth way—excellent flow.    This is one gripping, darkened song.

“Dance of the Void,” opens with a clever drum solo as the song builds an intricate web with clean notes and fancy drum work.  This is one of my favorite songs on the album—it’s so slow, grinding everything into a perpetual void.  Musically, it’s heavy of course but it’s a special version of it…heavy without actually being overly heavy.  Methodical death doom?  Sure, why not. 

“Reborn,” is about as close to a ballad as this album gets but it’s yet another example of how the band can be dense and sweltering in outside the box ways.  The clean vocals are fantastic against the edge of the seedy music, that’s built upon a more tribalistic approach that uses subtle guitar to push it forward.  

“Kharon,” continues to showcase The Medea Project’s vision of doom metal—-no one sounds like them and this album continues to forge their unique vision and legend.  

special note: For some reason, there isn't a link to embedded their album so I'lll just post a link.

https://themedeaproject.bandcamp.com/album/kharon

Rating: Excellent