Breakdowns. C tuning. Yelled vocals. Welcome to the scene of American metal, a cesspool of generic bands, each sounding more like the next as they come along. Originality seems to have passed its way by in this recent crop of American metal bands.
Or has it?
A select few bands are fighting back, back against the corporate metal scene in America. They come from all different fields of metal, some more famous than the others. However, one band seems to be above them all. Their music is brilliant, and they have been around for quite a while, releasing 5 full length albums, and numerous demos and EPs.
Yet they still aren’t recognized. They deserve much more respect.That is why I must introduce you to the greatness of the band. Who are they, you may ask?
The band, my friends, is called Novembers Doom.
Novembers Doom - The Pale Haunt Departure
Released: March 8, 2005, on The End Records
Members:
Paul Kuhr - Vocals
Lawrence “Larry” Roberts - Guitars/Backing Vox
Vito Marchese - Guitars
Brian Whited - Bass
Joe Nunez - Drums
Suprisingly, Novembers Doom has been around for a while. They formed in 1989, but it wasn’t until 1992 that their music was heard. Since then, this little band from the US has gotten much critical acclaim with their 5 albums. All of them are special in their own ways, and each is worth a listen through.
What can you compare Novembers Doom to? Try Opeth. The Opeth moments are vast, ranging from the fingerpicked acoustic lines to Paul Kuhr’s vocals, which are downright beastly. However, Novembers Doom has a sound all to their own as well...they combine Opethish music styles with doom metal, add some atmosphere, and create an absolutely superb musical sound that is unsurpassed.
The Pale Haunt Departure is the latest in the long legacy of Novembers Doom. It is truly a masterpiece. Pounding riffs abound, this album will beat your ass down and pick you up, only to beat you down again. The riffs are absolutely crushing, heavy as hell, and UNBELIEVABLY dark. The band exhumes pure evil through their heavy moments, and Kuhr gives you the image of the evil in the world through his deep, Akefeldt style growlings. As a girl I know likes to call them, “Satan growls.”
The band is not all about heavy, though. In true Opeth fashion (yes, I realize I’m making tons of references to Opeth), the clean moments are seen in every song. There is even an entire acoustic/clean electric song in the mix! Of course, since this is doom metal, many of the riffs are in minor keys. They aren’t overly powering, though. They serve to imbue a deep sense of sadness in the listener, enhanced by, once again, Kuhr’s vocals. Not only can he growl, he can SING too. His clean voice is haunting...he’s got the bass vocals working in his favor, and his voice adds a whole new layer to the term “atmospheric”.
So. Fans of Opeth, you will like this. The Opeth-styled riffs and vocals are numerous in this release, and are absolutely crushing.
Haters of Opeth, you will like this too (shock!). The group isn’t as confusing as Opeth...although their parts are still extremely hard and complex, they aren’t so dissonant. They stick to normal, easily accessible key signatures, and craft BEAUTIFUL parts out of them.
As if that weren’t enough, the production is spot on. No cardboard box-esque production found here...you can hear everything superclear.
For recommended tracks, just buy the damn album. Each track is amazing, and will have you listening again and again. If you REALLY want a few tracks to check out...
Autumn Reflection: Opens with a low, clean electric part, and blasts straight into hell. Heavy as hell, utterly dark...everything you could ask for.
Swallowed By The Moon: First song I got by the group. This one is very Opeth-esque.
Overall: 9.5/10. A superb album, worthy of EVERYONE to own. Buy it now, and support the band (me included...I only have a downloaded copy. :( ). This band is too good to break up.
A few mp3s of the group can be found at their official website, [URL]www.novembersdoom.com[/URL]. Check it out...you won’t be disappointed.
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