"Dead Words Speak"
[Firedoom Records]
Hailing from the snow laden backdrop of Saffle in Sweden, one man Doom act DOOM VS. featuring solitary member J.Ericson have released "Dead Words Speak", and for those who think that one man bands can't pull their weight in the kcataclysmic world of Metal, think again. Firedoom Records certainly think that this one can. Plus if you need any proof of the mans credentials, just go and have a listen to the ever growing DRACONIAN!
"Half Light" opens up the album with a slow paced tempo that instantly gets the black clouds setting in and oppressiveness is soon to follow. Using a nice blend of harsh growling vocals and atmospheric clean ones, Ericson shows in the early stages that he has great diversity and isn't afraid to mix things up. As the title track of the album "Dead Words Speak" kicks in you get a true reflection of the ehavines sin both sound and feeling that Doom Vs. is capable of, and again the dual vocals give the music a real haunting quality. What I love though is the long drawn out Doom riff-age, hard and precise, almost clinical but in every way carrying the true essense of Doom Metal. Not only that but track has a sense of slow urgency, a rising of emotions that builds the anxiety and the drama superbly. "The Lachrymal Sleep" has a much more grinding quality too it, and it's flows steadily onwards on a winding journey, dark in feel and sinister in mood. Again the intricate guitar play adds drama and a real sense of foreboding as the devastingly haunting nature of Doom Vs. keeps on kicking in.
Moving intot he second half of the album we have "Upon The Cataract" which intensifies significantly the hostility this man can produce as the frost bitten anger and hatred spills forth is a downpour of vile emotions but awesome riff-age, slow direct and agonizing all at the same time. "Leaden Winged Burden" really lives up to it's name, and the album is never more ominous and oppressive than right here. Slow and hard, the song crawls along on it's bloody belly, leaking anguish and reality that life itself can be the biggest burden of all. The finale though is "Threnode", a track that combines everything this is great and that works about Doom Vs and throws it right back at you with venom. The deep seated feeling of solitude, thebleakness of life, the anger but above all else the atmospheric variance that Ericson can conjour at will, it's all there finishing off this truly great album.
"Dead Words Speak" is a divine album, brilliantly written and performed with even more talent. If you ever had a preconception about one man bands, think again, take in what Doom Vs. has to offer and sit back and relax, because this is one album your going to enjoy a hell of a lot.
5 Out Of 5
www.myspace.com/doomvs
