Wow, this Italian act unloads some supreme doom. Opener "Human Antithesis" is a three-part 20-minute epic that begins with a sample and a few minutes of ambient soundscapes before plowing into a slow, doomy groove with spoken vocals that border on narration, shifting into bleak acoustic guitars and operatic female vocals - all within six minutes! Gradually it bounces back to the pummeling doom, contrasting well sung vocals with vicious snarls, often layering in obscure samples in the distance as added texture - not unlike a more creative take on classic My Dying Bride perhaps. "Grey Horizon (M.P.H. MMIV)" has a few of the more typical lead lines associated with doomier styles, as well as a more consistent, plodding rhythm... followed by an untitled choral segue. So things get a bit more straightforward at times, but the subtle intricacies of the release definitely make it something more atmospheric and moving than your average doom release. The nature-based samples and orchestral synths that open "To a Sickly Child", for example, are far more forceful than most anything I've heard in that realm before. I also enjoy the vocal variation throughout the album, be it whispering, speaking, snarling, growling, dramatic singing... it's all handled well and implemented to accent shifts in the dynamics of the writing. I like the recording. The synths are perfectly handled adding ambient underscores to the core of guitar, drums, and vocals, and I assume the bass is in there though I really can't make it out. The clean guitars sound fucking excellent, as do the keyboards, while the vocals are fine, and the drums are decent (they could stand for more resonance and depth). The heavy guitars are good as well, they get the job done, but I think they could somehow use more warmth and depth as well. The end result sounds nice, but minor touchups could make a major difference, I believe. The disc comes in a nice looking digipack with a large booklet, and all of the artwork is based around lots of black space with hues of light blue. The lyrics, too, are quite bleak, and speak for themselves: "Do the months pass? Do the years pass? It's felt like the same day for the whole of my life. I've had one of those dreams again, Where all I can see is a grey horizon, No sun breaking the monotony, A dream devoid of color, devoid of sound, Where I am only greeted by blank faces, Drones, grinding the gears of the grey machine." Very well done. From the epic opener to the subtly militaristic slant of closing narrative "CXVIII" this record blends textbook doom with fluid atmospheric experimentation without fail. I'd love to hear more from this band because I have a feeling they're capable of creating an absolute masterwork.
[Code666]
Running time - 61:05, Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: Human Antithesis, To a Sickly Child, Dark Static Moments]
Code666 - http://www.code666.net
