Band:	The Foreshadowing
Album:	Days Of Nothing
Style:	Doom metal, Gothic metal
Release date:	October 2007

01. Cold Waste
02. The Wandering
03. Death Is Our Freedom
04. Departure
05. Eschaton
06. Last Minute Train
07. Ladykiller
08. The Fall
09. Days Of Nothing
10. Into The Lips Of The Earth

I never know how to call this sort of music. Whether it is gothic or doom or somewhere in between matters little to me. All I know is the Italian group known as The Foreshadowing got me excited like only a handful of newcomers have over the years. Their debut album Days of Nothing is one hell of a ride.

Thinking along the lines of bands like Katatonia, Lacrimas Profundere and Draconian, this combo managed to deliver the goods with ten tracks filled with haunting atmospheres, addictive rhythms and unforgettable melodies. Obviously the mostly deep and monotone singing from Marco Benevento is a "love-it-or-hate-it" affair. The blueprint of most songs in itself seems simple enough but the excellence of performance elevates the album to a higher level. The perfectly crisp production also helps. Part of the winning formula is that the guitar duo of Andrea Chiodetti and Alessandro Pace know when to slow things down or take it up a notch. There is no solo overkill, no unwelcome riff saturation. Only tasteful and balanced work is to be found. Come to think of it, the same can be said about the drumming of Jonah Padella. It is precise and feels just right. Then again, they were recorded by no other than Guiseppe Orlando from Novembre. Francesco Sosto provides equally important keys and the important background vocals.

The best compliment I can give a record is when my favorite track on it keeps changing. This is exactly how I feel about Days of Nothing. From the hypnotic riffs of "The Wandering" to the forlornness of "Death Is Our Freedom", from the killer bridge of "Departure" to the ingenuity of "Ladykiller", I felt encumbered by having to choose. In the end I settled on giving up and enjoying the whole album as one. On top of the grand production, the gothic artwork rocks and it is worth buying the physical CD just for that.

Strangely enough, Days of Nothing will fill your days with a lot of things to revel in. To this day, it remains one of my favorite listens, and it has been 5 years already. If any of the bands aforementioned are on your radar, then the music of The Foreshadowing is for you. It isn't revolutionary music but it is smart, engaging and tasteful.