Wraith Of The Ropes
Ada (CD) 2005 Totalrust Music
Lately the funeral doom genre seems to have approached a barrier where it becomes hard to be original and many bands start to sound alike. However, once in a while all genres experience the coming of a band that defies the trend, creates something completely unheard of and do it so well that your skin crawls. Wraith Of The Ropes is one such band and 'Ada' is clearly a classic in the making. The darkness that shrouds the music is unlike any other that I've heard from a doom band. The closest match would be the classic horror aura of Iced Earth, although the band have little in common with them otherwise. The simple but haunting piano is responsible for much of this feeling, reminding me of old horror movies like "Psycho". I also found it to fit almost perfectly with many scenes in Sin City. The vocals are incredibly distorted, giving them a vile and inhuman quality. The riffing is slow, rough and filled with bass. This gives it some of the same gravitational pull that Khanate has. Finally there are the industrial and ambient elements that enrich the mood. It was hard to know what to expect from the lyrics. They could have been macabre, depressed, nihilistic, horror-related or insane, and all of them would have fit perfectly. As it turns out, they're all of the above. Everything is spelled out brutally and very graphically. Nothing has been censored. It brings out the very essence of self-hatred. 'Ada' has too many aspects to describe them all. The music sucks you in and you can feel the touch of evil on your breath. I had goosebumps constantly when I first heard it and I still get them. This is the funeral doom release of 2005. Something to make all of those sunny days go away. "I don't care what kills me as long as I die".	1. Chamber Of The Wraith 2. Final Reflection 3. Lake Of Decay 4. Alone 5. Death Bed 6. Snow Dragon 7. (Bonus Track) Approx. 58 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen
The Red Door (CD-R) 2005 None
This CDR was produced in a limited number of 120 and given away as a free bonus to those who bought the album 'Ada' directly from the band. The cover art should be unique on each copy because the red color on the image is actually real paint that has been allowed to drip onto it. A fancy touch that sort of gives it a slightly more personal feel. All the tracks on this release are unique and will most likely never be re-released. 'Ada (The Red Door)' is the demo version of the track that is to appear on the band's next album. The remaining tracks are cover songs. 'Halloween' is the title track from the film with the same name and was originally created by John Carpenter. Because it fits so well with the funeral doom guitars, it is definitely one of the highlights of the CDR. 'The Figurehead' was originally performed by The Cure. 'Black Sabbath (Including Cornucopia & Under the Sun)' is a medley of the three tracks with the same name, all of which were originally performed by Black Sabbath. Played with very black elements, it gives the old tracks a new and more sinister aura. At the same time it remains very true to the originals. Finally 'Suspiria' was originally performed by Goblin for Dario Argento's movie, 'Suspiria'. Yet another proof that funeral doom with pianos make ideal horror music. Due to its very limited release it will be tough to get hold of one of these. Nevertheless I would encourage everyone into funeral doom or black metal to do so. Wraith Of The Ropes was one of the most impressive debuts in 2005 and their standard hasn't been lowered here. Also the band has revealed that the next album will be a black metal release rather than doom metal. In other words, there might be a long time until you hear a new doom track by Wraith Of The Ropes.	1. Halloween 2. Ada (The Red Door) 3. The Figurehead 4. Black Sabbath (Including Cornucopia & Under the Sun) 5. Suspiria Approx. 27 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen