Band:	October Tide
Album:	The Cancer Pledge
Style:	Death doom metal
Release date:	October 2023

01. Peaceful, Quiet, Safe
02. Tapestry Of Our End
03. Unprecedented Aggression
04. Blodfattig
05. The Cancer Pledge
06. I Know Why I'm Cold
07. Season Of Arson
08. Breathe The Water

Winter is now fast approaching, and we all know the change in weather has a dramatic effect on our moods. So, what better way is there to reflect on the dark and miserable month of October than with listening to some death doom presented by none other than October Tide themselves?

It's fair to say that the Swedish death doom band October Tide shouldn't need much of an introduction, especially if you're a death doom enthusiast whose been following the genre since the late 90s; I'm pretty sure that the band's 1997 debut Rain Without End would be high on most people's ranking when it comes down to the best releases in the genre. Twenty-eight years following the band's establishment in 1995, the group return with their seventh full-length release to date, morbidly titled The Cancer Pledge. Now, I can't say October Tide's discography has really dropped too much in quality during their career; even following their temporary split-up between 1999-2009, they've managed to continuously produce quality death doom releases. This latest offering does not turn out to be an exception, as the quality from past albums is still well and truly there.

October Tide served as pioneers in the early 90s melancholic death doom scene (along with the closely linked Katatonia), and in doing so, they cemented their position as a major influence for many modern death doom acts to follow today. The Cancer Pledge unsurprisingly follows the lead of the band's previous efforts, again resembling the sound of saud 90s scene. However, now they have a masterfully crisp, up-to-date, quality modern production, with an even more melodic approach to songwriting. With eight tracks in total at forty-five minutes in runtime the album is rich in melancholia, making the album ideal for giving the listener a glimmer of hope amidst the doom and gloom that surrounds their poor wretched soul. So, if you are feeling at a loss of hope right now, then this release may well be an ideal solution to lift your spirits.

The instrumental layering behind the album's structure is simply remarkable to say the least; throughout the album, you'll be met by captivating drumming patterns, richly melodic (slow-to-mid-tempo) riffs with a classic heavy guitar tone, heavy driving bass, and sweeping melancholic leads, which are then accompanied by passionate yet pleasantly easy-on-the-ear growls, delivering sorrowful and emotive lyrics. This all comes courtesy of the same line-up the band has featured since their 2016 release Winged Waltz, consisting of founding member and guitarist Fredrik Norrman (ex-Katatonia), vocalist Alexander Högbom (ex-Demonical), bassist Johan Jönsegård (Letters From The Colony), drummer Jonas Sköld (Letters From The Colony) and Fredrik's brother and fellow guitarist Mattias Norrman (ex-Katatonia). 

All the elements I mentioned above are made evident from the start on the opening track "Peaceful, Quiet, Safe", which is simply a taste of what's to come. The second track "Tapestry Of Our End", however, is an early highlight, featuring strong examples of the mournful melodies the band has been renowned for playing throughout the years. "Tapestry Of Our End" also features some of the band's best lead guitar work to date. The following song, "Unprecedented Aggression", begins in a slightly different manner, with a gradually building slow-to-mid-tempo doomy riff pattern. This is perhaps one of the heaviest and slower tracks the album features, and there's definitely a hint of early Katatonia behind the song's melancholic sound and structure.

From here on, the songwriting continues to captivate the listener with a strong melodic approach; the tempo and rhythm remain efficient and consistent, and the album flows gradually and smoothly, whilst the sound quality remains a strong element throughout. The next track that I find striking is "Blodfattig", as this is the only non-English lyrical track featured. Now, what "Blodfattig" doesn't hold back on is passionate, emotive and mournful songwriting, with exceptional melodies. The final song, "I know Why I'm Cold" is another highlight, again featuring striking riff melodies that go hand-in-hand with its exceptional leads. Aggressive clean shouts are also heard occasionally, complementing the gnarly death growls. The track closes with a memorable repetitive rhythm.

To conclude, The Cancer Pledge is a more than worthy addition to an already fine discography; some might even make the case for this being their best release since the debut. However, as these Swedish death doom veterans begin to close in on their 30-year anniversary, should we honestly have expected anything less?