Review Summary: The little mountain overshadowed by Mt. Olympus.
In comparison to the previous release it could be assumed that
A Caress Of The Void could be considered a step back, however once you take in that an album in the band’s discography is considered a staple reference for the genre itself (all in the guise of
Antithesis Of Light); it’s hard to imagine the record after being anything other than a letdown. For a band that has stayed more-or-less true to their original sound from the debut this stereotype diminishes how this album would largely be received. The comparison it seems is one of the main reasons this record is not seen in a better light. Fear not however, the album itself is far from detrimental to Evoken’s entire catalogue; while not quite the monolithic titan that the former record is,
A Caress Of The Void does manage to stand on its own two feet – not only as a record that portrays Evoken’s maturing but also as a stand-alone release backed by a sense of solid (if a little predictable) songwriting.
A Caress Of The Void highlights the depressing nature of the genre, where typical guttural growls dominate the record but are also broken by cleans. Guitar chords resonate deeply with the mood of the record in true Evoken fashion. Ringing chords and simplistic layered melody lines carry throughout the record. Tempos shift but never do they progress to anything faster than a march adding to the minimalistic almost nihilistic passages that carry this record to its completion. The album’s instrumentation is almost top notch but a down fall in the manner that it is never doing anything out of the ordinary. Riffs, notes and cymbal splashes are expected, right where the listener would expect to hear them and clearly the music itself wasn’t meant to invoke an exciting listen (not in the way the listener would smile at an amusement park) but the mood is sombre and full of emotion that all adds to
A Caress Of The Void’s atmosphere.
With tracks at a minimum of six minutes long this seven track titan features all your typical traits of a funeral doom metal band. Some patience is required when listening to the lengthier tracks but for the most part
A Caress Of The Void takes the listener for the ride; most of the time it’s smooth but when the road gets a little bit bumpy it jolts the listener back into this sinister and somewhat murky release. Unfortunately for Evoken’s 2007 release it’s simply overshadowed by one of the best releases the genre has seen. Take it with an open mind for
A Caress Of The Void is a record that can stand alone. But for all it’s worth
A Caress Of The Void can be seen as a natural maturing for a band that may not be able to top itself again. If you went into this record on the back of
Antithesis Of Light you may find yourself underwhelmed, that’s not to say that this is borderline average, rather it’s simply been polarised by a previous record. The most positive feature of this record remains in the manner that Evoken has stayed true to their established sound.
A Caress Of The Void may be predictable at times but that takes little away from a solid doom record.
