Mirror Of Deception
Mirrorsoil (CD) 2000 Miskatonic Foundation
Mirror of Deception hail from the "titan forests of Southern Germany", an all-important fact to remember. Miskatonic, their record label, compares them to renown bands such as Solstice (UK) and While Heaven Wept (USA), as well as placing their original musical influence in bands such as Black Sabbath, Candlemass and Saint Vitus, arguably some of the greats of this rather indiscernible genre. According to Miskatonic's own write-up however, Mirror of Deception have since carved out their own distinctive niche, using their original and wholly unmistakable style. I on the other hand, would beg to differ somewhat. My personal opinion leads me to say that the only style they do incorporate into their rather monotonous "elevator" music is bland and indistinguishable from a plethora of other bands. One word I would not assign to it is "memorable". The majority of the songs on this CD are based on the same riff, taking the phrase "less is more" to hitherto unexplored dimensions, and not necessarily in a constructive manner either. The vocals, easily described as droning, monotonous and bland, much like the music they're pitted against, leave a lot to be desired. In terms of a description, try and imagine a cross between a mediocre goth-rock vocalist and a hoover. The vox are simultaneously erroneous in their setting; throughout the CD, they remain clear, and the near (miss) melodic interaction of two strained voices does not serve to complement the music they've been superimposed upon, but merely to highlight the extent to which the music and vocals battle against each other. If you do happen upon this cd, you will find in time that the lyrics also leave room for improvement. The words become one long - you guessed it - monotonous drone. This is not, contrary to popular belief, considered to be doom, but a rather debauched attempt at it. In light of some of the not-so-enlightening lyrics however, this could be a blessing; "what I hoped for/disbaned in haze/looking out for a sign in maze/a leap in the dark". Something makes me suspect that the good ol' folks of MoD were simply looking for rhyming words, and didn't do a top job there either. Do I have any volunteers for the job of translator? And whilst on the subjects of diction, I would call into question the rather risqué song titles as well, particularly that of track 5, 'be kept in suspense'... and that's an order, minion. At certain points, the rhythm and (infrequent) riff changes seem rather on the inappropriate side of things. A good example of this is the ABA style of track 2, 'Veil of Lead'. The sandwich in the middle, B, is completely out of place in the strong, steady, thoroughly trad-doom rhythm established in the initial and terminal parts of the song. You'll find this spasmodically interrupted by an up-beat, stoner-rockish lilt that disappears as fast as it pops up from out of the blue. Likewise, the ending is as much of a surprise, again not necessarily a particularly good one; it's somewhat reminiscent of a prog-rock accident with a synth-keyboard. Oops. But leaving individual tracks aside, the ending of the CD as a whole is non-descript. It leaves the listener wondering where the end of the last track wandered off. Suspense? I doubt it. Having said all this, MoD have stuck it out since 1993, the year that heralded their first release, artistically named 'Mirror of Deception Demo'. And despite my blatant dislike of this album, I have to admit that I found myself humming along to a couple of the riffs on one or two occasions. But to balance out that unforgivable lapse of concentration, I can safely say that not one lyric had an impact on me in any way, shape or form, and the music didn't even come close to invoking anything resembling an emotive response.	1. Asylum 2. Veil of lead 3. Weiss 4. Sole 5. Be kept in suspense 6. Dreams of misery 7. Cease 8. Float Approx. 44 minutes
Reviewed by: Keti Tano
Conversion (Mcd) 2003 Miskatonic Foundation
'Conversion,' Mirror of Deception's second release on the Miskatonic Foundation label, has this much-improved German doom band continuing down the dark path established by their landmark 'Mirrorsoil' album. The shortcomings found on 'Mirrorsoil,' which mostly had to do with decisions made in mixing and production, have been addressed and the band has taken a quantum leap forward on their journey to the pinnacle of True Doom. Make no mistake, 'Mirrorsoil' was a fine effort, with superb songwriting. For me, the problem was in the sound, which was bass-shy and mixed too hot, with a trebly, hashy sheen on the guitars and vocals. This definitely detracted from that doomy feeling, which we all know is best expressed with a powerful bottom end. Thanks to engineer Carsten Fisch, 'Conversion' is a much richer, warmer-sounding record, with lots of tasty, natural tone. The first thing the astute listener will notice is the lack of the trademark Mirror of Deception twin vocal attack. This is because vocalist Markus Baumhauer has departed after 10 years with these veteran doomsters. However, guitarist/singer Michael Siffermann does his best to flesh things out, and the result is smooth, clean, almost soothing vocals. Happily, the songwriting is as good as 'Mirrorsoil;' perhaps even better. This is a feast for fans of epic, trad doom. 'Distant,' with a mournful spoken intro, is a great example of what the group can do: take the sound of trad doom groups such as Candlemass and give it their own Teutonic spin. They even mix in some of their distinctive "throat singing" into the background. 'Conversion' and 'Vanished' are melancholy, beautiful, bludgeoning trips to that desolate land where Doom rules unchallenged and there are no thoughts at all of sunshine and muscle cars. If you're into the traditional doom of Pentagram, Count Raven, Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, Solstice, Warning, old Katatonia, or St. Vitus, then dig on 'Conversion'. It's their best yet.	1. Distant 2. Sntgleiten 3. Conversion 4. Vanished Approx. 25 minutes
Reviewed by: Kevin McHugh
Foregone (CD) 2004 Final Chapter
Its hard to believe that a genre that is so often accused of being narrow and copycat could produce any bands of original vision at all, but Germany's Mirror of Deception is one of them. The band is one of the longer-running doom groups, together now nearly 15 years (though with several line-up changes), but surprisingly producing only two full-length efforts, this being the second. They've also produced a number of demos and minis, and it's all paid off; you're not likely to hear any old-school style doom band that sounds quite like Mirror Of Deception. MOD has a doomed maturity and refinement that can only come with age. With 'Foregone' they've trod further down the path that they began on the fantastic 'Conversion' EP; a smoother, darker, more minimal sound using only a single vocalist, rather than the twin-singer attack of their debut full-length 'Mirrorsoil.' You'll hear different doomed shades on this journey, from veteran epic doomsters like Solstice to newbies like Doomshine, taking long stops with Solitude Aeturnus, VoodooShock, and Revelation along the way. There's a smooth, bleak, epic quality to Mirror of Deception that lovers of these groups will cleave to in a big way. The tuneage is melodic and mid-paced, with a strong emphasis on ensemble playing rather than soloing. What they really excel at is creating their own hermetic world where doom holds sway, all the way down to the CD packaging itself, which is directly connected to the desolate, powerful music within. The lyrics are ambiguous, metaphorical, and above all honest. Combine that with the sledgehammer strength of trad doom at its best, Guiness-creamy guitar tone, and an emotional metropolis centred on heavy despair, and you'll realize these threnodies have created an unorthodox, miserable parallel world that paradoxically lifts the listener on dark clouds of identification and joy. Yes, joy. It is perhaps the most interesting paradox of the doom genre that a music that is so bleak and hopeless could thrill the soul with such rare beauty, and yet its been proven over and over. This is not in any way goth however, though there is an element of romance to this music. This is riffing doom from the lineage of Father Sabbath, developed over time into something unique. 'Foregone' is Mirror of Deception's heaviest, darkest effort yet. And their best.	1. Foregone Way 2. Inscrutable 3. Bleak 4. The Ship of Fools 5. Deception Island 6. Mirthless 7. Metamorphosis 8. Descended 9. Where the Juniper Grows Approx. 48 minutes
Reviewed by: Kevin McHugh
Shards (CD) 2006 Cyclone Empire
Germany's Mirror of Deception, formed back in 1990, are the class of Europe's riffing doom community. Although the group's membership has shifted somewhat over the years, they've maintained a consistent vision. They've taken the lessons of the trad doom world from Sabbath on down and redefined the sound, bending it until it conforms to their unique insight as to what doom really means. In the process they've formed an instantly recognizable sound. There's no doubt about it: when Mirror of Deception is playing you know EXACTLY who it is. To the ears of any discerning doomster there can be few more welcome sounds. Despite the group's long existence, 'Shards' is only their third full length. 'Mirrorsoil', from 2001, may have been a groundbreaking effort, but to these ears 'Shards' is their overall strongest disc yet. Mirror of Deception have remained true to their trademark carefully crafted riffing melancholy doom throughout, but each successive effort has been a redefinition and improvement on their sound. taking the strengths of previous tuneage and building them into a true mountain of power. The great thing about it is that it's all done with a deceptive smoothness of tone and composition: the riffs wash over you so easily that it's only when the album is over that you look around and realize that you've been stomped flat. Only doom veterans such as Victor Griffen and Wino can destroy with such finesse. 'Shards' leads off with a signature Mirror tune, 'Haunted', full to the brim with pounding, punishing, smooth-as-silk guitar and bass with some dynamic lead and especially satisfying dual bass drum work. 'Ghost' has a fearsome chugga chugga rhythm to go with the lyrics, delivered with some nicely expressive double-tacked vocals. 'The Eruption' is dramatic and forceful, classic Mirror of Deception all the way, while 'Insomnia' is complex, progressive, and driving, with vocals that break out of the usual Mirror sound. The instrumental 'Enigma' closes the album with sadness and grandeur, effectively summing up what Mirror of Deception is all about. This album innovates over previous Mirror of Deception efforts mostly in the vocals, which are both roomier and more expressive than in previous efforts. Still, for those who value the mature and professional approach that the group has been perfecting for the last few years (at least on disc....nevermind about those after-gig activities...), this is a doom no-brainer. That creamy Guiness wall of guitar and bass distortion is there, the smooth bellow of the vocalists is better than ever, and the drums are both deft and in the pocket. One of the year's best, for sure. It's a great day to doom!	1. Haunted 2. Ghost 3. Swamped 4. The Eruption 5. Insomnia 6. Dead Pledge 7. The Capital New 8. Pyre 9. Frozen Fortune 10. Enigma Approx. 56 minutes
Reviewed by: Kevin McHugh