A Dream of Poe - Katabasis: A Marriage Among Ashes,

A Dream of Poe is a Gothic doom metal band from Portugal, who formed in 2005.  Their latest release, “Katabasis: A Marriage Among Ashes” is their fifth full-length album; they have also released a demo, two EPs, and two live albums.

I reviewed their previous album, “The Wraith Uncrowned,” years ago when I wrote for Metal Temple.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and have patiently waited for a follow-up for six years.  I’m happy to report “Katabasis: A Marriage Among Ashes,” is not only a worthy follow up but a highlight for me as the year continues to race towards its halfway point.  

“Katabasis,” is an album that can be as elegant as it can be harsh.  Its gentle weaves can turn into corridors of macabre horror at a moment’s notice.  The instruments play with an uncommon fury, symphonic and ethereal doom that envelopes as it smothers.  Those same instruments can also be as of a leaf on the end, a cold Autumn breeze that brushes its musical strokes with striking detail and clarity. 

At the forefront of this ever-changing storm is Miguel Santos, who performs all the instruments aside from the drums and bass on “The Lament of Phaethon,” the guitar solos and the violin.  He even provides death growls on “The Lament of Phaethon.” 

The main vocalists are Kaivan Saraei (songs 1-4) and João Melo (tracks 5 & 6).  Both singers have unique voices and give absolutely emotional performances.  They lead the dynamic instrumentation of Miguel with a focus that is frightening and leave behind moments that echo long after the songs have ended.

The lyrics and concepts were written by Paulo Pacheco—no doubt he is a poet of sterling conviction and he plays as much of a role in making the album as anyone else who performs on it.  I’m greatly paraphrasing from their Bandcamp with the following, but the concept is based on the real-life story of a fire that destroyed much of a life, including what was to become this album.  So, as they marched on to rebuild their lives, so did a sense of stability and purpose.  So, what the band has presented is an album that represents descent, rupture, and the will to begin again.  

And I feel it.  I can feel every note, every lyric, every vocal line.  This isn’t simply an album that’s doom for the sake of it.  It is doom because of the events that surround it and it’s so emotional to a degree that is almost frightening. 

But it’s real.  And it’s raw.  This is A Dream of Poe.  Welcome to their dark world as I give a little bit of reasons as to why I like each of the six songs presented by the album’s 46-minute runtime. 

“The Wail of Gaea,” begins with clean keys that hit as hard as the riffs that soon follow.  The tone of the guitars/bass is incredible–heavy yet emotive in its own way.  The marriage of the keys and metal aspects is powerful.  Kaivan’s are clean but with an insane amount of control and expressiveness behind them—one hell of a singer.  The keys are massive but not overbearing in a symphonic metal way but used as another instrument to speak in between the deep lyrics.

“The Lament of Phaethon,” tugs on the heart strings immediately and I have to say that Kaivan gives a chilling performance—perhaps the best he has ever done.  It’s also surprisingly catchy and amazing how well he welds his natural powers.   Miguel himself gives a harrowing performance too–I definitely hope he uses his growls more in the future!  The final half of the song is subtle in its epic throes, sweeping keys and violin that pushes against the guitars and drums…. all these instruments crash together, forming one majestic beast.

“Lamia,” is one of my favorites on the album.  It’s slow and creeps into you, like the ghost of your past-self trying to reclaim what it cannot, refusing to accept the only way is forward.  The riffs and drums really complement each other well by creating this wave of sound that crests and breaks. I really like the part after the fade out from 5:11 onward.  I feel it really represents the overall atmosphere of the album because it grasps the concepts of light vs darkness and holds onto them tightly.

“Exhorting Nightmares,” is up there with “Lamia” for the songs I love the most.  This song is just over 11 minutes in length, and every second is worth the time spent discovering its details. The beginning is almost like a play, what with the vocals that have a spoken cadence and the explosive entrance made by the lead guitar, that continues the story in its own language.  The clean choir is a wonderful addition and pairs nicely with the heavy guitars. 

Around the 3:30 mark, the song opens up even more and becomes this vibrant tapestry of glorious Gothic doom.  The vocals rise and fall alongside the music, this vessel surviving a dangerous storm as it is thrown about among the waves.  This song almost feels like an album within itself, as it ebbs and flows with such conviction. 

João takes control of this ship with his own unique vocal approach.  His performance is very moody, and I liked how his clean vocals are, at times, just rough enough to challenge the listener with abrasive notions that add a sense of uncertainty to the songs.  He sounds exceptional around the 3-minute mark, his voice like a thunderstorm with the keys and drums being the lighting.  The solo in the final quarter of the song is one of the best on the album and just as the song rises as tall as a mountain, it crashes down and finishes off with gleanings of Gothic tendencies. 

The final song, “À Medida de Damastes,” is one of the darkest and most intense songs they have done.  The lead and rhythm guitars offer up a gripping performance before sharing their stage with keys/strings and gentle vocals.  The vocals soon grow as monumental as the music, towering above it all.  The final minute of the song is crazy, the sound bites, brutal drums, and urgent keys……it’s very against the grain and the extreme vocals only add to that. 

Then it’s over.  The finality of the truth, of life, has landed.  What can you do?  Much like in life, it is time to start over and take another go at it. “Katabasis:  A Marriage Among Ashes,” is an album that is more than worth repeating and you’ll get something new out of it every time.  

Rating:  Excellent