Carnal
Curse This Day (CD) 2003 No Label
What I have here, is the third self-released album by Polish doomsters Carnal. They play doom/death with an emphasis on heavy riffing and tempo changes. As a result, the music has a lot of faster parts and can best be compared to what My Dying Bride did on their first two releases. Taken in detail, the music differs enough from the famous band mentioned before to be very interesting for die-hard fans of the doom/death genre. Carnal play their music very well, there are many melodic variations, guitar solos and the music is never repetitive. The production is very good for a self-released album and the artwork is fitting and well made. On a song like 'In The Name' the band gets a bit too far off the doom path for my liking, but luckily there are also more classic slow doom songs like 'Damnation' and 'Curse This Day'. It’s especially the good use of keyboards and acoustic guitar that make these songs worthwhile. The clean vocals of singer Robert are a bit off the mark at these times, but this is also a matter of taste. His grunts, however, leave nothing to be desired throughout the album. This release is definitely worth it for dedicated fans of doom/death, but lacks the unique quality to appeal to those who don’t care for the genre especially. In any case, the band could have a nice future if they continue in this direction. For more information, check the Carnal website on: http://www.carnal.metal.pl	1. On The Other Side Of Horizon 2. Wondering (come with me) 3. The Broken Promises 4. In The Name… 5. Damnation 6. Curse This Day 7. Hope Is Dead (part II) Approx. 32 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik