Sad Whisperings - The Hermit

Sad Whisperings is a death/doom band from Netherlands, who formed back in 1992. They hit the doom scene with their 1992 self-titled demo. The following year they released their full-length debut “Sensitive To Autumn.” After releasing a string of demos, a compilation and an EP, the band has finally returned with their second full-length album “The Hermit.”

Doom isn’t always known for its energy but I’ll be damned if “The Hermit,” isn’t highly energetic and infectious as hell. Alexander’s vocals are deep and rough but he can still be understood—very much so reminds me of the Vader vocalist. He and fellow guitarist Jurgen really do a great job with making such dark and heavy songs also vibrant and catchy. There are a lot of sweet sweet riffs on this album and soaring leads, alongside striking melodies.

While firmly planted in doom metal, the band isn’t afraid to mix things up and lean heavily into their death metal side. Chris and Aad, drums and bass respectively, are a rhythm machine of the highest order, able to bend their style to accommodate Gothic textures as much as they can bring about an unrelenting assault. 

Premnath’s keys are adaptable to whatever the band wants to do, always highlighting the songs’ directions and styles with excellent use of layers, epic passages and cleaner approaches.

The production/mix of the album sounds absolutely amazing. Every instrument has a robust, deep tone and all can be heard clearly within the mix. With the ears not having to strain, the songs come alive and flow so well from beginning to end. 

The album opens with “Heart of Darkness,” and Gothic keys that pepper the soundscape before a soulful guitar lead enters the frey. It’s all highly emotional, a doom and gloom with an almost regal approach. Suddenly, rapid fire riffs shoot off from the darkness turning the song into a pummeling affair with tightly focused riffs that are brutal as hell. There is a bit of a thrash feel to them, which is where much of the energy comes from. Around the 4:30 mark, the band slides back into Gothic doom without missing a beat.

“Shadow Work,” is laced with interesting clean music—deep and a little disturbing. I love the guitar tone on this song—sharp and biting. Some of the album’s best riffs are on this song—this one is definitely more death metal focused but the band still finds time to throw in a doomy atmospheric passage near the end.  

“The Angry Hermit,” harnesses that anger with a devastating beginning. This song expertly mixes death metal with Gothic doom, as it switches gears several times with the added bonus of not sounding disjointed—every note is exactly where it should be. The solo after the three minute mark is a fantastic hell ride, very noteworthy.

“Estranged,” is one of my favorite songs on the album. It is very immediate and offers a catchy melodic hook very early on. The vocals are brutal and they work well with the flow of the rhythm. The guitar leads across the song are nothing but pure magic, bridging the gap between the harrowing passages of crunchy death/doom. The melodic passage after the 3 minute mark is very impressive: this is how you doom! The fade out that it falls from comes back as a clean passage that ends the song. Wonderful. 

Sad Whisperings’ “The Hermit,” is a fantastic return for the band. Their ability to stick to their roots while also not being afraid to do whatever they want, to give the songs what they need, makes this a must listen in early 2026. 

Rating: Excellent