TRACKLIST:
1.''The Entering_Myrding Prologue''
2.''Myrding''
3.''Our Failure''
4. ''A New but Past Day''
5. ''Vargavinter_The End Part I''
6. ''Balder's Fall_The End Part II''
7. ''The Final War_The End Part III''
TRACK BY TRACK ANALYSIS:
1. ''Myrding''
I wouldn't classify Ereb Altor as a doom metal band just yet.The feeling embracing me as the music pours out of the speakers is purely and simply folkish,while retaining a darkness and sacredness that would classify it as pagan folk,with only a ghostly doom presence wrapping it all up.I was pleasantly surprised to consider that for the whole lenght of the track,I was on the edge of my seat.I truly appreciate the depht of the vocalist's emotionnal and extremely powerful singing,making this track hauntingly memorable.I wouldn't say that riffage wise it's the most original piece of work I've ever witnessed,but the music serves more as a background to the singer's heartfelt despair than anything else,and it does make for a good accompaniment.Catchy tune I might find myself spinning a few more times after this listen.
2. ''Our Failure''
Yet again,this tune ain't a smasher when it comes to coming up with original and refreshing riffs,but the doom atmosphere is indeed being brought to the forefront this time,complete with the very obvious nod to Candlemass.The folkish chants are still present in the background,beautifully accompanying the singer who does sound very convincing in his delivery,but fails (no pun intended) to impress me quite as much as he did on the first track.The guitars are slightly heavier here,creating a slight but effective feeling of menace that does suck you in,but the lenght of the track could've been trimmed generously.I don't feel this song has anything truly symbolic to offer.It does kind of miss its aim,since it is very repetitive and gets quite dull at one point.Throwing in a bit more nuances/surprises wouldn't've hurt.
3. ''A new but past Day''
This tune gets mildly interesting (at the very best) five minutes in.I have to say it is very linear,lacks substance,and a hell of a great deal of creativity.From the very first seconds of the song I was under the impression that the riffs I was hearing,I had heard at the beginning of the record.Maybe there was a slight and subtle difference in their construction,but it's barely noticeable to these ears.A very pedestrian,unoriginal,and overly too long folkish little ballad in the woods.It would've been inoffensive if it hadn't been heard (in a much better and much more immersive rendering) in the first track,and if it had more dynamics to it,and more naunces (I feel I'm gonna use that word about a gazillion more times in this review).A conscious effort to throw in more catchiness is being made around the five minute mark,but it's much too late to save this from absolute demise.I'm gonna hand it to the band that the ambiance they are creating DOES work,but the riffage definitely could incorporate more variations and the singer could let himself get considerably more inspired,much like he did so greatly at the beginning of the album.
4. ''Vargavinter_The End Part I''
I found myself pushing the stop button almost a minute before the end of the song.Why?It was painfully and even irritably repetitive.What I feared would happen to this disc did happen.It gets so focused on the idea of telling a story,it forgets to keep on punching through the walls musically.It doesn't even hint at becoming a dynamic song at any point within the whole lenght (which is six minutes;I have to say at one point I had to laugh).The singing is exasperatedly dull,the guitars are sloppy,still going down that same road they took within the very first seconds of the album,never leaving their mold,never showing even a shadow of audacity.This is pretty much the peak of blandness.It can't really get any worse than that when it comes to boredom.I hate to say it,but this track totally ruined the little enthusiasm I had for this disc.
5. ''Balder's Fall_The End Part II''
I had heaps more good moments with this song as it does display more creativity within its patterns.In fact,it is more of a progressive and nuanced journey than a patterned offering,which does exceed my expectations.The heaviness is present,the very Candlemass-y down-tempo moments of spellbound despair are more frequent as they are thrown in between midtempo folk-ish AND catchy little passages.I am still unimpressed about the singing though,as the Lowe screams didn't make any reappearance,and the vocals did become a background to the music on this one.But this is definitely a nice rise from the ashes.I must say the punchiness of the drumwork really did wonders in the midst of this track,also.Thumbs up.
6. ''The Final War_The End Part III''
Yet again,I pushed the stop button before the end of the song.It clocks in at over six minutes in lenght,and for that entire six minutes and beyond,nothing varies.Nothing strays from within the pattern of almost zombified numbness that was seriously starting to beat me down into a sleep.The same pedestrian folk-ish enveloppe of this track waters down the possibilities of much more a heavy offering (which these guys are capable of;only they hold it down).I can't understand why they always have to stick to this dull and soulless main generic riff all the time when they could very well take much more splendid routes when it comes to doom metal epicness.I guess they have their comfort zone,but they might want to explore around it and finally realize their potential is greater than what they want to show.
Rating: 2/10 This album did show some potential with the first two tracks,but soon became quite a sleeper,falling into a mold that put barriers between the band and their chance at charging forward within the panoply of epic routes doom metal can take,coupled with the folk influences that could've added much of a magical feel to the music.I am sorely disappointed.All the tracks really do sound like the piece of a puzzle that has practically nothing but blank pieces.A lot could be done to enhance these songs,but it seems everything's been shot to sunrise and we are left with nothing but a fleeting impression that this is going in some direction,but not quite determined to reach its destination.It started rotting somewhere along the way.
-Noch
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