Review Summary: Funeral Doom not for the faint of heart.
OK, so I know many people just can't get into the slower, funeral doom sound, but this band hits all the right spots. This is the kind of stuff I personally like to go to sleep to. There are no gothic tinges here (ala Daylight Dies, Swallow the Sun, November's Doom, etc., although I like those bands quite a bit). Just pure, slow, brutal chuggery with some growling vocals. If this sounds like your schtick, then pick it up. The cool thing about this band is that, unlike others in their genre, they sometimes pick up the pace within the course of their songs. It gives some variety to the proceedings.
I am new to this band and saw it on the Profound Lore website. With their song sample and accompanying summary, I couldn't resist making an impulse buy. Also, the artwork is incredible and not just the cover art. This thing comes in a hard back digi with a whopping 24 pages. Some of the best packaging I've ever seen and at no extra cost to the buyer.
Remember the days when you were a kid and you looked for new music based upon artwork, record label, song titles, producers... well this is what I did with this band and I wasn't disappointed. Even with the song sample on the Profound Lore website, I still would have taken a chance on this. These guys deliver. They also had a little input from Greg Chandler from Esoteric, so, hey, how can you get a better endorsement for a funeral doom band than that.
I really dislike song-by-song breakdowns, they tend to meander a bit, so I don't want anyone to have to suffer through that. These songs are long, with the exception of the one minute trippy intro “Flux”, the only short song on the album is “La Madrugada Eterna” at 4:03. “Communion” comes in at 6:00 and “Vanished is the Haze” is 8:22 while the other three songs are 13 minute plus opuses.
That being said, this is an album you have to sit down with and absorb. You have to take your time with it if you want to see some results. You need to invest yourself and your time and it will pay off in spades. This is a “turn off the lights, grab a beer, put on the headphones, and immerse yourself album”. There are no shortcuts in finding an appreciation for this music.
The guitars are thick as tar, the bass is even thicker, the drums hit hard and push the music forward perfectly, and the vocals just destroy. There's also a few ripping solos in the mix (kind of exceptional for this type of music). If you are a fan of Esoteric, pick this up. You won't be disappointed. In fact, Indesinence has more subtle dynamic shifts than Esoteric. So if you find Esoteric enjoyable, but rather one dimensional at times, then this album will most definitely suit you.
Bottom line is: if you like your music heavy, slow, atmospheric, and with some extreme vocals, then I highly suggest this record. Oh, and the closer “Unveiled” is fantastic. Give it a listen; this obscure band needs some recognition and deservedly so.
