Band:	Lochrian Poem
Album:	Snow
Style:	Avantgarde metal, Doom metal
Release date:	January 2019

01. Mal
02. Sud
03. Colos.gri
04. Snow
05. Råu

Think atmospheric doom has been done to death? Think again. This time, we do it differently. That's what avant-garde means, right?

Lochrian Poem is the solo project of Andrei "Solomonar" Oltean, whom you may know as the lead singer of E-an-na or for his wood instrument guest spots with Clouds, but his resume is far larger than that, with projects or bands of folk metal, black metal, djent, post-rock and goregrind. The project itself has been releasing songs since as early as 2015, but this release is the first one of more than one song or more than 12 minutes. This is the conclusion of Andrei's experience of his suburbs, as stated on the Bandcamp: "This is an album to be heard at the edge of an urban wasteland, in complete solitude, in the darkness that only somewhat cloudy winterdays can provide." I tend to agree.

Despite at its core being a blend of atmospheric doom and folk and ambient, this entire thing feels very, very weird and unsettling. Perhaps it's the rough-around-the-edges production or the field-recordings feel of some of the ambiance or the cavernous vocals or just how much of the time is dedicated to ambiance rather than the metal part. The flute in some of the parts really gives me a bit of "haunted Japanese horror story" feel, though I'm sure that's not exactly the aim of it, but rather to give a feeling of creeping wind and isolation. Both "Mal" and "Colos.gri" are very unsettling in that regard, though it's more of the latter that really gets to build it with the minimalist interplay between the piano and the flute and the ambiance. "Rau", which starts as a pretty straightforward death/doom metal song, eventually turns into a looped sample that goes on with slight changes for about 12 minutes, which never in a million years should work, but somehow it's so hypnotic and reminds me of listening to William Basinski's The Disintegration Loops that it kinda gives me chills and fuzzes.

As far as the metal is concerned, it is there on "Sud" and "Snow" and it is quite colossal, but the production also makes it feel weird, like some parts are not where they are meant to be or how loud they are meant to be (especially the growls). I can't really say for certain if that is something to be worked on or an intentional mood-enhancer, though I'd prefer that the transitions be worked on and for some of the doomier parts to be more interesting past that one colossal riff. What I do enjoy about "Snow"'s riff about midway through the song is that pulsating bass beneath it that I really haven't heard be used in such a way and that sadly goes into a less interesting section. This and the drums towards the end of the song show that this album really doesn't want to play by the rules. "Sud" is much more straightforward in that it sounds more like a tech death song with flute and doom vocals that has been mangled with ambient and eventually turns into funeral doom.

At this point I honestly think that if it weren't for the album's flaws, I wouldn't be giving it this much attention, so are they really flaws? At some points I actually wish it was weirder, but I'd rather not wish it was better written, which at some points it isn't. But I can't deny this is one of the most unique metal records I have heard. And you heard the man: urban wasteland, complete solitude, in darkness.