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Evoken - A Caress Of The Void review



Reviewer:
9.2

95 users:
8.38
Band: Evoken
Album: A Caress Of The Void
Release date: November 2007


01. A Caress Of The Void
02. Mare Erythraeum
03. Of Purest Absolution
04. Astray In Eternal Night
05. Descend the Lifeless Womb
06. Suffer A Martyr's Trial (Procession At Dusk)
07. Orogeny

Probably THE most anticipated extreme doom release of 2007 is finally upon us. And that after only a two-year wait. So Evoken have speeded up their song-writing pace, but thank God they didn't speed up the music itself.

Putting the cd into the player with trembling hands and sweaty palms I press the play button and in typical Evoken fashion "suddenly the horizon darkens, swallowing every single ray of light that tries to penetrate the gloomy clouds" © DerRozzengarten 2005. And I am instantly being enveloped by the majestic treacly riffs which suck me into a void while caressing me.

Though this time around the music seems to treat me less hateful, not wanting to cause any pain. It is as if I have passed away and gone to meet my maker and Evoken is my guide trying to comfort me with a warm damp blanket lulling me into a false sense of security. A false sense of security? Yes, cause at first listen A Caress Of The Void might seem lighter, almost optimistic compared to The Antithesis Of Light, but that is only on a superficial level. Once you get immersed you will still find the hatred and pain there brooding like a looming Elder underneath the surface of the earth. Every single chance it gets it grabs you by the throat and slowly suffocates you and just before your last breath leaves you It softens its hold again.
It is this interaction between evil and good, dark and light, hate and love, that makes A Caress Of The Void such a more interesting proposition and more mature release than The Antithesis Of Light. At its best moments it comes damn close to Evoken's masterpiece Quietus.

The production is once again top-notch and totally befitting this brand of extreme funeral death doom. Heavy, woolly, and even light and breathing where needed, accentuating the instruments at the right moments.

Overall combination of the songs, execution, atmosphere, production will get you hooked pretty quickly if you're willing to listen through the first superficial layer of hopefulness.
Sit back in a comfortable chair, light a good Cuban cigar, pour yourself a Lagavulin, switch off the lights and let the Beast draw you into its void.

Highlights? Seven black holes is more like it. Just go out and run to your record store and get hold of this masterpiece. And if it is too slow and dark for you, may I recommend you some flowery European power metal instead?


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 9
Production: 9

Written by Marcel Hubregtse | 29.12.2007




Comments

Comments: 16   Visited by: 182 users
29.12.2007 - 15:03
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
So people, you know what to do... BUY BUY BUY
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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29.12.2007 - 15:12
Damnated
Churchburner
i should really listen to this
----
Blessed is he that murders Christ in himself and in his fellow men.



Written by TheBigRossowski on 10.02.2009 at 16:01

if my wife and I can't conceive, I want a medical shipment of your sperm so our baby will be just like you.
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29.12.2007 - 16:23
Richard

Good review.. They sure make a lot of 'that' guitar sound on this album!
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29.12.2007 - 16:37
Rating: 9
White Winter Sun
Laboratory's Rat
Good review and nice conclusion.

After reading this, I should really listen the album and why not purchase it ... if I like it.
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29.12.2007 - 23:18
velvet

Gods - DEFINITELY going to get this. Thanks
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29.12.2007 - 23:21
Southern Wind
Account deleted
By one side, I agree with the rating because this is indeed a magnifiscent, soul-crushing album. This is not Doom, this is DOOOOM. On the other hand, I still liked more Antithesis Of Light, which was probably my favourite album of 2005. It had a somehow mysterious, narcotic atmosphere that made it especially extraordinary and this one lacked. This one seems like a comeback in musical terms to Quietus, maybe more mature, ok, but I still prefer the crushing "heviosity" (as woody allen would say) of the previous one. Anyway... I can't wait until this shit is in amazon to order it, in the meanwhile I will destroy my burnt copy by listening to it.
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30.12.2007 - 00:33
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
When I saw title abd band name, before I saw who rewiew it i know its Marcel
good album, IMO one of best from this year, top 3 for shore, for me from doom its in secend and 3th place
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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30.12.2007 - 00:55
Rating: 9
gid

Nice review. This album is definitely one of the highlights of 2007 for me. While it doesn't quite achieve the standard of Quietus, it's still a bloody good album.
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30.12.2007 - 03:03
DragonSlayer
Account deleted
"riffs which suck me into a void while caressing me"

IMO it surpasses every Evoken album in sheer atmosphere. Antithesis Of Light was a awesome album but it felt too much like Disembowlment worship. This one however has this suffocating almost evil feeling to it. It feels like a Beast slowly lurking in the dark background and, at some moments, taking a huge bite at you! The true highlight of the album has to be Mare Erythraeum, with its slowly but steady repetitive riff that builds into a awesome crescendo and a truly inspired solo.

Top 5 this year? Definitely!
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30.12.2007 - 09:22
Bhavok

I just love this album...
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30.12.2007 - 10:41
FOOCK Nam

Too much extreme, if it could be a little more melodic, like Colosseum, which is also funeral doom, then that would captivate me
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30.12.2007 - 22:15
Southern Wind
Account deleted
naaah, THIS shit is DOOM. Colosseum is goth music for fags in comparison
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30.12.2007 - 22:19
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Guest on 30.12.2007 at 22:15

naaah, THIS shit is DOOM. Colosseum is goth music for fags in comparison


Although I really like that Colosseum album I more or less agree with you here COlosseum ahas that typical light finnish funeral doom sound to it
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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30.12.2007 - 22:36
Southern Wind
Account deleted
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 30.12.2007 at 22:19

Written by Guest on 30.12.2007 at 22:15

naaah, THIS shit is DOOM. Colosseum is goth music for fags in comparison


Although I really like that Colosseum album I more or less agree with you here COlosseum ahas that typical light finnish funeral doom sound to it


I don't know, for me Colosseum was the typical finnish band with the typical finnish goth-like mood with nothing to add to the genre... they're for me in the same cathegory than senseless bands like Depressed Mode, Terhen or Swallow The Sun (although I confess that I regulary listen to StS).

Talking about Finnish doom, I'm dying for listening to this debut Profetus EP, do you have anything to say about them?

And sorry for the off-topic
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30.12.2007 - 22:38
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Guest on 30.12.2007 at 22:36

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 30.12.2007 at 22:19

Written by Guest on 30.12.2007 at 22:15

naaah, THIS shit is DOOM. Colosseum is goth music for fags in comparison


Although I really like that Colosseum album I more or less agree with you here COlosseum ahas that typical light finnish funeral doom sound to it


I don't know, for me Colosseum was the typical finnish band with the typical finnish goth-like mood with nothing to add to the genre... they're for me in the same cathegory than senseless bands like Depressed Mode, Terhen or Swallow The Sun (although I confess that I regulary listen to StS).

Talking about Finnish doom, I'm dying for listening to this debut Profetus EP, do you have anything to say about them?

And sorry for the off-topic


A bit more off-topicness, no I don't have anything to say about Prfoetus cause I don't even knwo their name, damn, gonna check their myspace site out right away. Thanks for naming something new to check out though.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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21.12.2008 - 22:50
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Guest on 30.12.2007 at 22:36


Talking about Finnish doom, I'm dying for listening to this debut Profetus EP, do you have anything to say about them?

And sorry for the off-topic


Weird thing happened... A couple of months ago I found the Profetus cd-r ep on my doormat sent to me by the band. I really dig it. As I understand they are currently recording new material and will be toruing with Tyranny some time next year.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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