Pantheïst - Pantheist review
| Band: | Pantheïst |
| Album: | Pantheist |
| Style: | Funeral doom metal |
| Release date: | April 2011 |
01. One Of These Funerals
02. Broken Statue
03. The Storm
04. Be Here
05. 4:59
06. Brighter Days
07. Live Through Me
I'm pretty sure you remember Pantheïst, one of the most upcoming names in the world of funeral doom back in the 00s. The basics remained, but still, they had a personal approach on the sound of this very special scene. There was will for something different, but there were the boundaries of funeral doom keeping them chained. The big breakthrough came with Journey Through Lands Unknown and everything you knew concerning this band suddenly came to a different level. There were attachments to the past, but still, Pantheïst were not the same. The only trademark you can rely on have to be Kostas' vocals and the piano/keyboard curtain.
Three years later, the time came for their self-titled work, the one expanding their sound territory even more, making their approach on music harder to categorize. Less is more, more is less and that's what the cover artwork propagandizes, a minimalistic approach on the cover, a title that depicts the band itself and as for the... more... it's all about music.
Imagine a generic doom approach in terms of composing but even more like a lurking sense, something like the spirit from the past that has been entombed deep within the sound chambers of this band. And then you lose yourself in the vast abyss of musical interpretation. The keyboards, the effects and the vocal lines play the most important role in this experimenting attempt. But still, you wouldn't consider the guitars and the rhythm section as secondary intruders, they're more like the king's relatives rather than his humble servants. There are enough times you will witness both the guitars and the drumming (even the bass) present a hallucinating part of immense beauty or creative intensity equally that you will start wondering what the hell is going on. And that's the fact, hell is going on and you're following unaware of what will come next. The keyboard ambiance brings forth memories of Amartia and not only, the vocals rely on their chanting or even clean singing aspect with few but to the point grunting moments, whereas the guitars in perfect combination with the rhythm section vary from time to time, according to where hell is going on. And remember, you're following.
Doom metal, ecclesiastic atmosphere, jazzy moments, 80s dark/new wave additions (The Cure mid-era musical background meets Bauhaus' Peter Murphy's aura), progressive rock injections from Pink Floyd and anything you might imagine (or not) is apparent from the very generic term "atmospheric". Proceed at your own risk, Pantheist (the album) refers to an audience whose identity cannot be identified, just like the band itself (nowadays), either you will like it or it will pass you by and there will be no hard feelings, it's one of those cases experimentation doesn't hurt. Either you "get it" or you just don't get it, as simple as that, as complex as the album and the band itself. Oh well.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 10 |
| Production: | 9 |
 | Written on 04.06.2011 by "It is myself I have never met, whose face is pasted on the underside of my mind." |
Comments
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Comments: 48
Visited by: 211 users
| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099  |
Great review, if this album's anything to go by I'll definitely have to check out the band's previous albums. There's so many influences in the music it would be hard to account for them all.
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068  |
If you liked this one, then you'll like their previous album, it's heavier though. The other releases are under the funeral doom spectrum, dunno if you're into this kind of music, if you do, you will love them, if not you might discover a new genre you might enjoy 
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Haven't heard this one yet...but I'd give everything they've done at least an 8/10, so I don't imagine I'll be disappointed.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099 |
Written by KwonVerge on 04.06.2011 at 02:19 I've always been drawn towards the traditional, heavy and 'epic' varieties of doom, generally because I preferred the cleaner vocals. I don't know anything about funeral doom, will have to explore
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by R'Vannith on 04.06.2011 at 02:39 Ultra slow form of music, heavy distortions, deep grunting vocals and emotions mainly leaning towards depression, melancholy etc. It needs some ear training but once you've gotten into it'll melt your brain 
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| NocturnalStalker Metal Addict Posts: 889  |
I've yet to listen to this album but I don't think it will disappoint me. I saw them perform Broken Statue live and I can say it's a great song so the others must be on par.
---- "And we are not who we think we are We are who we're afraid to be" - Lux Occulta "The Opening of Eleventh Sephirah"
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| HateSpark Posts: 27 |
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| Pyramid God Posts: 184  |
I'm very impressed with this new album, I'll have to check out the rest of their stuff.
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702  |
What can I say? Although I don't dislike the album entirely, they've gone too commercial for my taste, simplifying Journey's formula. Don't get me wrong: some songs are great - see the The Storm - but this a failed attempt to create a commercial dark-rock album. The clean vocals throughout are just too much. They make the album sound the same, monotonous, without variety. When harsh vocals kick in - see again The Storm - they just lift the atmosphere. The prog passages are just heavier early Genesis and some VDGG for good measure. Love the short sax break in The Storm. And the mellotron is awesome. Shame Peter Gabriel or Peter Hammill are not in the band...  Low points: Be here. WTF? Ten minutes of pure melliflous cack. The chorus is really embarrassing. Live Through Me - WTf? #2 I don't know what they were thinking, but this is one of the worst Pantheist's songs ever. The little solo in the middle of the track surely has been played on a Bontempi toy keyboard. Since they dropped the "ï" in the name, they dropped a lot more... like ïnspïratïon. I don't really know what Kostas was trying to achieve with this, I really don't. BTW, funeral doom doesn't have to be heavily distorted... 
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18278  |
Written by Merchant of Doom on 04.06.2011 at 12:48 Hhahahahahahhahaha sorry but that's just funny, good joke bro. Bands like this wanting to be commercial, wow  You might not like their new style and that's perfectly ok but I highly doubt this is something to get commercial, it's just silly.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 04.06.2011 at 14:07 well, you know, "commercial" within the genre... easier to the ear...  Not in the "commercial-let's make lots of money" sense. I do understand it's their choice and I don't dislike the album, but why put out highly melodic, melliflous stuff like that? It's clearly an album which is a lot more approachable and lighter than previous efforts. What's happening here? And why? Is Kostas getting old and mellowing with age? Or is it Slough? That's my only explanation...
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099 |
Written by Merchant of Doom on 04.06.2011 at 15:01 Besides the "lets make lots of money" what else do you mean by commercial? Perhaps you meant more 'accessible', as in they are turning further away from their original 'Funeral Doom' sound to something softer?
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by Merchant of Doom on 04.06.2011 at 12:48 I wouldn't sit down and write a whole description of the genre, just gave some general pointers
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Written by R'Vannith on 04.06.2011 at 15:06 yes, I said it. More approachable and accessible, "within the genre". I didn't mind their funeral era and their prog era, and I don't dislike this one, but I was wondering why they are getting "softer"...
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Written by KwonVerge on 04.06.2011 at 15:22 just don't mislead people... you might put them off...
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by Merchant of Doom on 04.06.2011 at 15:27 There was nothing misleading in some general pointers The rest lies in what they get to listen to or search on the net
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099 |
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Elite Posts: 5068 |
Written by R'Vannith on 04.06.2011 at 15:38 Good choice to start checking the scene 
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
No, and I was joking, really, maybe because I prefer the "non-distorted" variety... my brain must be melting... 
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Written by R'Vannith on 04.06.2011 at 15:38 bad start... lol... they are death/doom with funeral influences. But I don't really want to start this kind of debate, really.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18278 |
Written by Merchant of Doom on 04.06.2011 at 15:43 Funeral with train wheels in that case, I think it's an easy way into what the genre has to offer specially because it's not pure Funeral doom but it has enough elements to help the newbies understand what's the deal with the genre. The question to why they start doing melodic stuff is quite simple though... They just feel like it
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by R'Vannith on 04.06.2011 at 15:38 Great place to start, they're widely regarded as one of the best funeral doom bands today. Although it's kind of a bad place to start too, because you won't find another band that has that same crushing "oceanic" atmosphere, so everything after this might feel watered down.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 04.06.2011 at 17:22 I was intrigued by the glowing reviews of their 'The Call Of The Wretched Sea' album, plus it won an MS award. I noticed that they're labelled as 'Extreme Funeral Doom', perhaps it's best to start with the non-extreme kind
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18278 |
Written by R'Vannith on 04.06.2011 at 17:43 Extreme doom means in the awards case: death/doom, black/doom, drone doom and funeral doom... Not necessary because they are SO extreme but jsut to make a difference with other kind of doom like the more tradional and melodic kind of doom
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by R'Vannith on 04.06.2011 at 17:43 Metal Storm is - to my knowledge - the only site that differentiates extreme doom from regular doom. Ahab aren't "extreme funeral doom", just "extreme doom", as funeral doom is regarded as an extreme metal genre, whereas regular doom is considered "melodic" metal (as its usually more akin to heavy metal). EDIT: + what the Doctor said
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099 |
Ah I see so 'Funeral Doom' is categorized as 'extreme doom'. Although it does say 'Extreme Funeral Doom' on the page for that album: Germany: 2006 Genre: Extreme Funeral Doom Label: Napalm Records Length: 67:41 minutes
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by R'Vannith on 04.06.2011 at 17:57 Ya that's a redundant tag. Just stick with funeral doom and you'll be fine.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18278 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 04.06.2011 at 18:18 Except Esoteric, THAT is extreme...
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Passenger Lost To Apathy Posts: 1464  |
This seems quite different from the previous albums. don't know if i'll like it, they're one of my favourite bands though, i need to get around to it!
---- You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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| Merchant of Doom Posts: 702 |
Well, it looks like I'll have to say it again and sorry for the OT... but Ahab are NOT funeral doom... get a grip
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