Tyranny
Bleak Vistae (MCD) 2004 Firebox Records
Once again Finland proves to be one of the leading countries is doom metal. The country’s main doom label Firebox now releases the debut release by Tyranny, from the same country. On this MCD (clocking over 44 minutes!), the band shows that they know exactly what funeral doom in the year 2004 is all about. From second one you are immersed in a dark bog of pounding, crushing drums, heavy guitars and dark synths, deep growls and dragging, high-pitched leads. As you try to make your weary way through the thick fluids you catch glimpses and impressions… the stinging ice of The Ethereal, the stifling frost of Hierophant, the crushing despair of Until Death Overtakes Me, the utter darkness of Evoken… Bleak Vistae hints at all of these and is in that respect very dependant upon the work of the pioneers of the funeral doom genre, but not annoyingly so, for you are soon swallowed up again by the murky waters that constitute the album’s name. Everything about this release is dark and slow and it won’t let you go until the dark ambient outro fades into nothingness. And even then you are still partly in those dark waters that can be seen on the front cover. Tyranny is sure to create a reputation for itself with this MCD and my expectations for a follow-up are high. This is top quality funeral doom from a label that keeps on releasing great stuff. These modern times surely are grand days for doom…	1. Passing Through Ague 2. The Leaden Stream 3. Drown Approx. 44 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik
Tides Of Awakening (CD) 2005 Firedoom
It didn't take long for this band to become one of the biggest names within its genre: funeral doom. This might have something to do with the fact that while they embody just about everything that is funeral doom, they have also created a branch of their own within it. This is their debut album and I'm pretty sure it will fulfill even the highest expectations from any of their fans. The cover art depicts some old stone monuments in moonlight. The moon itself is in the shape of a huge, yellow reptilian eye. This and the name of the album, 'Tides Of Awakening', shows the primeval connections that the music has. The intensely majestic heaviness that emits from the speakers, and the beast-like growls that accompanies it proves this theory. In fact the growls have so many layers of effects added to them that they don't resemble anything remotely human. However this doesn't have the kind of intensity that would be associated with monsters like Godzilla. It constantly grows ever stronger, like a prehistoric god emerging... The drums sound almost tribal at times, and keeps the pace of the music to a minimum. The guitars keep the same speed and minimalistically create an effect to the music instead of a melody. This way you don't need to actively listen to the music for it to take your breath away. It just sucks you in. It's probably obvious from the text that I really liked this CD. But setting that aside, I'd like to go even further. This is something that is close to being essential for any funeral doom fan's collection. This is because, as I said earlier, it has everything that is typical for funeral doom. Furthermore it also seems to have had an increasing influence on many bands in the scene. Even if I hadn't liked it, I still wouldn't be surprised if this was to become a classic.	I. Coalescent Of The Inhumane Awareness II. Sonorous Howl From Beyond The Stars III. Upon The War-Torn Shape Of Cold Earth IV. In The Arcane Clasp Of Unwritten Hours V. Entreaties To The Primaeval Chaos Approx. 61 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen