The Labyrinth CD
The Labyrinth cd is an adaptation of an idea from the Belgium metal magazine Mindview. The idea is pretty simple: a doom fan (in this case Heiko, a doom-metal.com reviewer), receives a cd with (mostly recent) tracks from doom bands without him knowing the name of the bands or the tracks. It's his task to listen to every track and to give his comment on the tracks during the first listen (in italics). Two things are interesting about this test: those who know Heiko's musical taste by reading his reviews, shall know what to expect from these bands. And even for those who hardly read the reviews, it's interesting to know what an experienced doom fan thinks of these releases.1) Burning Witch-Warning signs
Burning Witch is one of the many bands from musician, artist, Southern Lord man and metalholic Stephen O'Malley. Their combination of clean, Ozzy-like vocals and high screeches (that, according to www.doom-metal.com webmaster Aldo sounds "as if somebody is running nails across a blackboard") is legendary, or according to others, notorious. This is the first track from their album 'Crippled Lucifer'.
(After the first notes) "It must be Black Babbath or one of its rip-offs. (A bit later)However, it sounds harder and better than the typical Sabbath rip-offs, because of their 'deeper' sound with a lot of bass. But it still sounds like a Sabbath clone: it has the same groove, it's only slower. I'm not a Sabbath specialist you know, my metal history doesn't start with Sabbath. It's difficult for somebody of my generation to appreciate these kind of bands, unless your father was listening to Sabbath or something. No, give me doom-death metal, or atmospheric metal, or beauty and the beast metal..."
2) Sleep-Jerusalem
Jerusalem is one of the most controversial albums in doom history, featuring one (1) song that lasts 52 minutes and consists of about six different guitar riffs! Except maybe Earth or Sunn O))) (another O' Malley project) there is hardly more minimalistic music to be found in the metal universe...
"Apparently, this guy has only one hand, or only one string on his guitar. Not so much bass as on the previous record, I hear 'higher' sounds, but the same, 'traditional' vibe. I'm still waiting for the second riff. I guess if somebody is drunk or stoned, this must sound very interesting. It's possibly Cathedral, Electric Wizard, something stoner-like, anyway. I'm not a big fan of this genre. It's 'Jerusalem', you say? I must confess, I read a very positive review of this album, I think from Kurt in Mindview, but I'm glad I didn't buy it, because I would be very disappointed. Alas, my sleeping fellows, I'm not a pot smoker, I don't even smoke or drink that much. Maybe if I was tired I would like this, but that's not the case right now."
3) Katatonia-Teargas
This track from Katatonia's most recent album 'Last fair deal gone down' and the EP with the same title, continues in the new direction the band chose since their album 'Discouraged ones'.
"This is a completely different genre, it sounds much more familiar to my ears. It's less groovy, more mainstream. You could almost call this 'rock music'. The voice sounds familiar. Is it Katatonia? Well, the only difference with mainstream rock, is the distortion sound of the rhythm guitar. And it reminds me a bit of the atmosphere of Anathema's 'Judgement'."
4) Cathedral-Requiem for the sun
The latest Cathedral album is partly a return to their doom glory days of 'Forest of equilibrium'. This is a typical track of that latest album 'Endtyme'.
"The contrast between the intro and the main riffs,is very beautiful. I recognize the voice and the genre. Is it Cathedral? I already heard some of their tracks of the latest album in a radioshow. I was mostly indifferent for the most tracks on this radio show, but Cathedral always managed to draw my attention. I even heard some Cathedral tracks with grunts, I believe. 'Forest...' is of course a very good album. They say that 'Endtyme' is a return to that period. I for one, I'm positively surprised."
5) Grief-Coma
There is no doubt that Grief is one of the harshest, most extreme sludge doom bands in the world. This track from their album 'Dismal' (available from www.mp3.com) makes clear what to expect from this band: unrelentingly slow, depressive, hard and hateful music for the few people in this world who can manage to listen to this.
"Until now, it sounds like the previous track, only slower and deeper. The vocals are very strange: the guy shouts without putting much volume into his voice, it sounds very distorted. Some people call this kind of screaming 'choking on gravel'. I think fans of 'traditional' doom might dig this, except the vocals maybe. The music is even comparable to Thergothon, but the vocals are different. It's also groovier than Thergothon, of course. Personally, I would't buy something like that, first I need some doom classics, this I would maybe buy when I would have a lot of money. I must say it's the first time that I hear something like that. I prefer a primitive grunt. Maybe if they had the vocals of Thergothon and if they were a bit less groovier, I would appreciate them more. Also the drums are too clean and too much in the front of the mix."
6) Serenades-The silent beauty
Serenades is an Italian doom band that plays very melodic doom in the vein of Anathema.
"Yuk, synthesizer strings! I love the feel and the warmth of true strings. Synth strings sound cold, emotionless and irritating. F.i. the way a band like On thorns I lay makes use of the viola is excellent. Also Silent Stream of Godless Elegy features amazing violin work, not to mention My Dying Bride. Actually, the music itself is outstanding: it sounds massive, sensitive and melodic. I would compare this with the atmosphere of bands like Beseech, My Dying Bride, Blazing Eternity or old Katatonia. Serenades, you say? There are a lot of bands with such a name, some bands have to start being more original about the choice of the name. F.i. My Dying Bride, the name fits perfectly with the music. Also Esoteric and old Theatre of Tragedy are bands where the music fits perfectly with the band name."
7) Lacrimas profundere-an orchid for my withering garden
This is a beautiful non-metal track from Lacrimas Profundere's second album, 'La naissance d'un rêve'. This is an underestimated German doom band that dwells for years in the shadow of more well-known acts like Haggard and Anathema.
"This is something different: we hear a true violin. Now you can feel the emotions of the music. Very agreeable music! I have the feeling that I've heard this before, though. The combination of deep grunt and female vocals, is something you hear very often. But the female vocals aren't great. Are they from Scandinavia? Oh Germany, that would be my second choice. I like the title of the band, and also the title of this work, it's very poetic."
8) Tristitia-Angelwitches palace
This Scandinavian doom band has a very special sound: they play technical doom with very beautiful, melodic guitar work. This is a track from their latest album 'The last grief', in which the band has left behind a lot of their earlier black/death metal influences.
"Is this Darren White? If not, then it must be his little brother -who apparently has also taken some singing lessons-. To be honest, I think that this track lacks a bit of continuity. F.i. a beautiful riff is broken down in the middle and then a new riff starts. I don't like this. It sounds more like a collection of loose ideas, rather than a song. It's doom metal, but with some death references...Tristitia, you say? I heard earlier stuff of them before, there you heard even more death metal influences."
9) My Dying Bride-Roads
I must admit: the reason I chose this track, was to mislead Heiko -of whom I know that he is a pretty big My Dying Bride fan. This is actually one of their lesser known tracks, a cover from Portishead featured on a Peaceville compilation. It proves once more -together with their '34,788%' album- that the Bride guys are pretty big triphop fans...needless to say, I succeeded in misleading Heiko.
"Hmmm...electronics. I'm not such a big fan of electronic music. This is very minimalistic stuff, with only a small keyboard tune every few seconds. This is something for the less depressive people, pretty calm music. I have no f**ing idea who this is...My Dying Bride???? Well, personally I like triphop. I like Massive Attack and I would also buy something from Portishead... 'Heroine chick' is also triphop, but it misses the 'misty' atmosphere from Massive Attack or Portishead. When I play the '34,788...' cd, I always skip this track. It's pretty bad."
10) Evoken-Tending the dire hatred
Evoken succeeded with their recent 'Quietus' album, to create one of the heaviest and darkest albums of the last years.
"Finally! This is the sound I go for. Excellent grunts! You saved the best for last. This track reminds me of Winter, it almost sounds like a copy from 'Servants of the warsmen'. Who could be this? That's a difficult question. There are quite some bands that play this kind of music. But who? It could be diSEMBOWELMENT or a mix of Skepticism and Winter. They are American, you say? Could this be Morgion? Oh, it's Evoken...great track, anyway."
Thanks to:
Kurt for giving permission from Mindview to do this
Heiko for agreeing to be my 'Guinea pig'...
- Kostas Panagiotou & Heiko Isselee
(13 May 2001 )
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