Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck
Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands |
I found this album so bland, so pedestrian, so weak, so extremely boring. By far their weakest album to date. Would rate it a 6.
a weak gothic metal album they have thrown their last bit of death/doom overboard on this one.
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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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Alex F Slick Dick Rick
Posts: 3502 From: USA |
Alex FSlick Dick RickPosts: 3502 From: USA
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 17.09.2013 at 20:39
I found this album so bland, so pedestrian, so weak, so extremely boring. By far their weakest album to date. Would rate it a 6.
Agreed. I listened to this album back when it came out and once more about a month ago, and have to say that it's very very very very stale and uninspired sounding.
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MELANCOHOLIC
Posts: 59 From: Spain |
17.09.2013 - 23:07Rating: 6
Im trying this release in the past few days and though some tunes some beautiful i cant appreciate the death/doom elements that make me love this band. As Marcel says it is bland and they weakest effort but im trying to find out at least a good moment i can really relax to this style. I hope it is not another music for sleep time
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Diverge
Posts: 1334 From: Canada
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18.09.2013 - 00:57Rating: 8
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 17.09.2013 at 20:39
I found this album so bland, so pedestrian, so weak, so extremely boring. By far their weakest album to date. Would rate it a 6.
a weak gothic metal album they have thrown their last bit of death/doom overboard on this one.
The Prophecy took a slightly different approach with regards to their mixture of death and doom metal, and I think it is an approach that can easily alienate pre-existing fans. In fact, this is a style that has been done to death in more gothic stylings, and so I see how people can find it to be a stale record.
To say that their death elements are "overboard", however, is a gross misrepresentation of what is going on here. There are death-style vocals that are clearly evident, but they are obviously performed in a more progressive styling. The emphasis on melodies and the vacancy in the atmospheres of tracks like "In Silence" are certainly not for everyone, and part of the reason this record would appeal to the progressive heads more than the doom fans. For example, I hear more Enochian Theory in it than say, Mourning Beloveth. It's a (barely) death-doom album with a major crossover into melodic prog, and one that will almost certainly be divisive. But having heard the Prophecy's other records, I must say that their approach here is a worthy addition to my music library.
Thank you, R'Vannith, for the wonderful review as always. I think that the emotional nature of the tracks were the fundamental aspect that they brought to the table, and you very nicely articulated that.
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R'Vannith ghedengi
Posts: 3099 From: Australia |
18.09.2013 - 08:58Rating: 8
I can't speak for their earlier efforts as I haven't heard them but I can understand why there would be doubt about calling this death/doom. It is very light for the most part, the death metal aspect barely being brought over in the growls. Perhaps it sounds weaker in comparison with the change in approach you folks are talking about. Is it because it isn't as death/doom in style that it sounds weak or stale? All I can say is that I find it appealing, a nicely melodic doom.
I'm not sure I'd describe it as gothic or progressive but it doesn't sound like a standard approach to death/doom to me.
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Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck
Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands |
Written by Diverge on 18.09.2013 at 00:57
To say that their death elements are "overboard", however, is a gross misrepresentation of what is going on here. There are death-style vocals that are clearly evident,
but that doesn't make the music death doom. Musically it is purely gothic metal with some hints of doom still left, nowhere do they touch upon death doom musically. Only vocally that is the case due to the growls but as we all know vocal style alone does not make the music style, because if that were the case one could also call this album death metal.
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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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Diverge
Posts: 1334 From: Canada
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18.09.2013 - 23:27Rating: 8
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 18.09.2013 at 12:07
Written by Diverge on 18.09.2013 at 00:57
To say that their death elements are "overboard", however, is a gross misrepresentation of what is going on here. There are death-style vocals that are clearly evident,
but that doesn't make the music death doom. Musically it is purely gothic metal with some hints of doom still left, nowhere do they touch upon death doom musically. Only vocally that is the case due to the growls but as we all know vocal style alone does not make the music style, because if that were the case one could also call this album death metal.
There is a distinction between melodic doom and gothic metal here; the melancholia here is very much based in doom if you ask me, and moreover, the lyrical themes are more prominent tropes in doom than in gothic. There are definitely aspects that feel gothic, but if you had to ask me to define it, I would say that it is melodicy prog-oriented doom with death influences. Lawson perfectly straddles the edges between progressive vocals (say, Opeth and Enochian Theory) and the vocals of traditional doom metal vocalists.
I acknowledge that it is barely a death/doom album, but I would strongly argue that death/doom is still a reasonable way to describe certain tracks (especially the closing track). So saying that there is no more death/doom to their approach is probably too harsh of a criticism, in my view; parts of it remain intact, in spite of The Prophecy's more progressive leanings. Anyway, I agree with R'Vannith's belief that this is not as straightforward an approach to doom metal as one might think, and I agree wholeheartedly with an 8ish rating.
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Monolithic ♠♠♠
Posts: 668 From: UAE |
I dunno, I feel puzzled about this album. Sounds a little "too" bland for my taste. I found their debut far more enjoyable. Thanks for the review, though. Someone had to review this album sooner or later.
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