This Tangled Web
Nothing to Hold you Here (Mcd) 2001 No Label
Recently This Tangled web impressed me immensely with their rehearsal tape 2001. Their absolutely soul-crushing heavy, yet bleak, death-doom, made me hungry for an official release. Fortunately I did not need to wait too long because a few weeks later the band announced the release of their first self produced Mcd. The Mcd however is somewhat different from the rehearsal tracks I had heard. The Doom-metal influence is less and the band plays more up-tempo melodic death-metal, creating more aggressive tracks. There are a lot of modern-day Doom elements present to still make the music sound very bleak and depressive, but the addition of melodic death-metal parts ruin it slightly for me. This Tangled Web obviously does not want to be pigeonholed into one genre or make it easy to compare to them just a few bands. This is something that I find commendable on the one hand but on the other hand I wish they hadn't. I adore the Death/Doom elements, their bleak feel, their soul crushing heaviness. I like the addition of slightly more accessible "gothic" sections, but I am not really that charmed by the melodic death-metal sections. It makes the music livelier, and that is exactly what I don't want! Give me monotony, repeating drone, depression, desolation! The more melodic parts are well executed but This Tangled Web never sticks out above thew crowd of other bands playing similar music. Their talent in my opinion lies with the inaccessible and unforgiving dirge death/doom I heard on their rehearsal work. Fortunately it still surfaces on this Mcd. Don't get me wrong, this is a very interesting release. This Tangled Web obviously has a lot of talent and they know how to create that bleak unforgiving doomed atmosphere all Fins seem to be able to generate (must be genetic). I also understand their need to play what they like, but if you are so good at one thing (dirge death/doom) and, while not bad at all, don't stand out at another (melodic death) then I'd say stick to what your good at.	1. No Funeral 2. Recycle Approx. 11 minutes
Reviewed by: Aldo Quispel
I Stab at Thee (CD) 2003 Foreshadow Productions
'I Stab at Thee', being This Tangled Web's first full-length release, seems to find the band all over the map in styles. Some of these, such as the melodic death, and especially doom and gothic parts are great. However, the straight death metal parts are not so good. Thankfully, there are many doom/death moments on this album. The disc, unfortunately, starts off with two, mostly forgettable tracks. The only time 'Ashen' and 'Master' really caught my attention, was when the band would slow down, and the vocals would switch to a deep grunt. The clean vocals now and again, are also a nice touch, and certainly help bring out the doomy moments, while adding a slight gothic feel to the music. However, it is not until third track, 'Exploits' that This Tangled Web really begin to shine. Wonderful death/doom starts the song off, and really catches the listener's attention. If the album was in the style of this song, it would certainly be much more enjoyable, as this is what This Tangled Web excels at: slow, mournful death/doom. 'Recycle', and 'Funeral', are the tracks which close this disc. They also appeared on the band's MCD, 'Nothing to Hold You Here'. I do not know if these are the same versions, or if they've been re-recorded, as I have not heard the MCD. As the sound does seem to differ on them, though, I would assume they are the same... and once again, it's the death/doom in these tracks which really shines. Overall, I really wish This Tangled Web would decide on one style (perferably, death/doom, of course) and stick with it. If they wrote an album which concentrated on the death/doom they are really good at, then I would certainly be a fan. As it is, this disc is still a worthy release, but it could've been so much better.	1. Ashen 2. Master 3. Exploits 4. Count for Naught 5. Recycle 6. No Funeral Approx. 32 minutes
Reviewed by: Matt Zuchowski