Tempestuous Fall – The Descent of Mortals Past Review

By ClarkKent

In 2012, Australia’s Dis Pater released the debut record for his third active—at the time—one-man project: The Stars Would Not Awaken You by Tempestuous Fall, a work of epic funeral doom. The following year, Pater released what might be the strangest split I’ve heard of: a three-way between his own active projects. It ended up being a “[three] men enter, one man leaves” kind of deal, with Midnight Odyssey being the lone survivor.1 In that time, he has contributed to several other bands, from a Greek black metal group, Kawir, to a Slovakian black metal group, Aeon Winds, as well as a whopping nine LPs for Midnight Odyssey. Yet something about the funeral doom of Tempestuous Fall must have called Pater back. Backed by classical symphonic elements, it turns out he had rather ambitious goals for sophomore album, The Descent of Mortals Past.

The Descent of Mortals Past is a concept album focused on six mythological figures and their unfortunate adventures to the underworld. With themes based in the classics, and even some lyrics in Latin, it should be no surprise that Tempestuous Fall takes a classical approach to the music. “Theseus – Encased in the Stones of Hades” opens with some gorgeous, serene strings before adding on the usual funeral doom trappings of a heavy guitar and glacial pacing. You’ll also hear the melancholic tinkling of piano keys on songs like “Heracles – Dark is the Home of the Underworld,” showing off Pater’s versatility and ingenuity. It’s remarkable the way he melds these classical elements with doom guitars and growls to create lush, hooky funeral doom. “Psyche – Temptation of the Divine” goes all out, bringing in church organs, choral chants and hums, and operatic vocals from guest singer Alice Corvinus (Swords of Dis). This beautiful tune provides such an enticing melody you might follow it to the gates of Hades.

Of course, on the classics you don’t hear singers using demonic growls, but Tempestuous Fall might make them rethink that choice. Pater takes a My Dying Bride approach—alternating between low growls and cleans. He may not be as powerful as Aaron Stainthorpe, but he’s still effective. His growls contrast with the classical melodies and deliver the lyrics poetically, while his cleans provide memorable choruses that make you want to sing along. When the heavy guitars first join the strings on “Theseus…,” it’s a shock to the system like taking the polar plunge in nothing but your underpants. But they add a darkness and melancholy that’s fitting for doomed trips to the underworld. The production is a bit of a let-down, however, as the guitars take on a buzzy quality rather than the muscle of Evoken. Yet there is a charm to this raw, lo-fi quality that takes me back to the earlier Opeth records like Morningrise.

The back half of The Descent of Mortals Past has some unfortunate inconsistencies that keep it from matching the fantastic first half. None of these songs are bad, just different. The first is “Ulysses – Requiem of the Sea,” a doom cover of Mozart’s “Lacrimosa.” It’s a very cool track, but it also feels unoriginal, especially since it is among the most played classical tunes in modern pop culture—almost to the level of parody. Similarly, “Orpheus – In Dark Deathly Grey” is also quite good, but its focus on acoustics makes it sound more at home on a Dolven record than a symphonic funeral doom set. The finale, “Aeneas – Guide Me Home,” is a return to form that fits in much better with the front half. Like these earlier songs, it has strings, doom, and some melodic leads and cleans that end the LP on an uplifting note. Yet, being the longest tune at eleven minutes, it’s the only one that feels like it drags on due to too much repetition. Individually, the songs on the back half are solid and probably keep the record from sounding stale, yet they also break a spell the first half weaves.

While it doesn’t quite reach the level of last week’s Oromet, Tempestuous Fall has written another worthy platter of funeral doom for 2025. With how The Descent of Mortals Past sounds, it is understandable why Pater wanted to return to this funeral doom project after a thirteen-year hiatus. He has an ear for epic yarns, and his injection of doom adds gravity to the classics. I just hope that he doesn’t wait another thirteen years to release the next one.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: I, Voidhanger Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: November 14th, 2025

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When the Deadbolt Breaks – In the Glow of the Vatican Fire Review

By ClarkKent

When the Deadbolt Breaks is a name designed to elicit feelings of horror. It could be the mundane horror of needing to shell out cash to replace a busted deadbolt, or the life-and-death horror of the deadbolt snapping while you’re trying to lock out a deadly assailant. This fits with the band’s exploration into unsettling music that evokes psychological horror. In the Glow of the Vatican Fire marks album number seven in the 20-year career of these Connecticut doom-slingers. The Metal Archives reveals a band with a history of cycling through members, and that shows through their shifting sound from album to album. Yet lead songwriter Aaron Lewis has been consistent in his intent to unsettle listeners. For those of you stumbling into this review in search of how to fix a broken deadbolt, prepare instead for a dose of sludge-y horror.

To achieve their core sludge/doom sound, When the Deadbolt Breaks uses fuzzy, trudging guitars and plodding drums. Expect long, drawn-out guitar riffs played at the speed of funeral doom, a la Godthrymm. Aaron Lewis mixes it up, however, by occasionally plucking in a manner reminiscent of Dolven’s acoustic doom or speeding things up with frantic tremolos. The ghostly chanting of Amber Leigh achieves a haunting beauty; she sounds eerily serene as she sings about the coming of death in “The Scythe Will Come.” In The Glow of the Vatican Fire isn’t just another slow, plodding doom record, however. It features lots of tempo shifts. The follow-up to the slower-paced, gentler opening track is a frenzied, chaotic “Deus Vault,” which turns up the dial on the noise and features frenetic drumming from Rob Birkbeck. These tempo shifts are common within songs, switching from breakneck speed to turtle crawl, enhancing their narrative and emotional effects.

In the Glow of the Vatican Fire creates a variety of moods, ranging from hopeful to manic to depressed, thanks to the varied vocal performances of Lewis and Leigh. On “The Deep Well,” the two alternate singing parts, Leigh crooning with a lilting, plaintive voice, while Lewis sounds more pained as he warbles about struggles with depression. Instrumentation is also key in developing mood. When the Deadbolt Breaks frequently builds tension through the use of riffs and drumming that grow in intensity over time, with the tension released in a manic frenzy. Lewis adds to the terror of these instrumental outbursts with menacing, violent growls (“The Deep Well”). Not all choices work equally well. Some songs feature vocal texturing that’s meant, perhaps, to be jarring (“The Scythe Will Come,” “Burning Zozobro”), but it instead serves as a distraction from the story, the same way bad CGI can ruin a movie.

Whenever an album surpasses the hour mark, it can be difficult to justify all of the choices that go into the songwriting. In the Glow of the Vatican Fire consists of eight tracks, half of them over ten minutes long. I enjoyed the long-form songs a little more than the shorter ones because Lewis and company prove to be effective storytellers. However, there are questionable choices made in the name of experimentation. Take “The Chaos of Water” as an example. This tune has some of my favorite and least favorite moments on the record. The opening, thrashy two minutes are tons of fun, and the final four minutes feature Leigh’s best singing. However, the middle portion slows to a crawl while a robotic voice gives a speech over a single, slow riff strumming repeatedly. It kills the narrative on what was otherwise a very compelling song. Sometimes When the Deadbolt Breaks does too much where simpler would be more effective.

I realize that an hour-long sludge record is the true horror for many metal fans. Yet When the Deadbolt Breaks have composed a well-written album that’s worth spending a few hours with. Based on my overview of prior records, In the Glow of the Vatican Fire is also their best. The presence of Leigh is a massive boon. But it’s also clear that Lewis has improved his songwriting acumen. True, he has some work to do in the editing department, but for the most part, the 10+ minute songs earn every second. He proves to be a master of the slow build, and if you have patience, you’ll find the payoff to be rewarding. I hope When the Deadbolt Breaks can return with all members intact and a wiser Lewis penning his tales of existential horror.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025

#2025 #30 #AmericanMetal #ArgonautaRecords #AvantGarde #Dolven #DoomMetal #Godthrymm #InTheGlowOfTheVaticanFire #Jun25 #Review #Reviews #Sludge #WhenTheDeadboltBreaks

Dolven – In My Grave…Silence Review

By ClarkKent

In his review of Aganoor’s Doomerism, Killjoy discussed how the “myriad subgenres” of doom “can sound so wildly different from one another.” We can add to this discussion Portland, Oregon’s Dolven, who bills their latest album, In My Grave…Silence, as acoustic doom. This begs the question, what constitutes doom metal? Doom typically buries you in melancholy and despair with heavy, plodding, low-tuned guitars, or it sets you up for a good trip by adding some fuzz to the guitar tone. Can one really write doom music using acoustic instruments? Could you even call it metal, or is it just folk music? Sure, an acoustic guitar doesn’t get the same tone as an electric, but what matters is the spirit of the music–the mood and the tempo. Of course, I’m not really here to argue the semantics of what makes an album doom. Ultimately, I’m here to tell you whether Dolven’s latest album, In My Grave…Silence, is worthy of a spin or two.

Anyone familiar with Dolven’s prior work will quickly notice In My Grave…Silence sounds a little different. This is thanks to new singer, Jori Apedaile (Eneferens, Hyalithe), and percussionist, Hunter Ginn (Agalloch). Apedaile, who generally shrieks on his one-man black metal projects, sings gentle, plaintive cleans, at odds with the previous vocalist, Henry Lauer, who had a lower tenor and occasionally provided some growls. Ginn makes use of hand drums that bring a light, meditative touch, in addition to drums gently-tapped by stick. Even outside of these two n00bs, In My Grave…Silence has a much more refined and polished sound than prior outings. Main songwriter and guitarist, Nick Wusz (Snares of Sixes), remains Dolven’s heart and soul. He plays a mix of lightly plucked tunes and softly-strummed chords and provides such a soulful touch that it’s as if his guitar itself is crooning. Finally, bassist Jason W. Walton (Agalloch, Sculptured) provides a deeper resonance on his acoustic bass, reminding you of the sorrow residing behind Wusz’s sometimes uplifting, hopeful melodies.

There’s an intimacy to the musical compositions that brings the feeling of sitting around a campfire and watching Dolven play live. The phenomenal production values enhance these qualities.1 You can clearly hear every note, even the sliding of Wusz’s fingers on the strings. The album is also exceptionally quiet, forcing you to turn it up and pay close attention. This closeness brings a sense of comfort in spite of the otherwise mournful sounds and words. Where electric guitars leave lingering noise with each strum, the acoustic instruments create empty spaces that add to the tranquil melancholy. The tracks on In My Grave…Silence are thoughtful and intentional. The nine-minute “You’ve Chosen,” for example, doesn’t feel a second too long. It mixes a catchy whistling tune, terrific guitar playing, soulful singing, and meditative hand drums to create what will end up being one of the best songs of the year.2

The issue with a 45-minute album filled with acoustic plucks is that the songs start to blend together. Each song has its own distinct melodies, but without other distinguishing features a few of them are tough to differentiate from the pack. The more memorable tracks make use of unique features, such as the whistling on “You’ve Chosen” or the string instrument (likely violin) on “Beside Me.” The instrumentals in particular, are more ephemeral in nature and don’t necessarily stay with you after the record’s over. In My Grave…Silence also gets repetitive, especially on the longer tracks. This is more noticeable with the lyrics, where Apedaile repeats himself a lot. On “Anymore” he sings, “I don’t want to talk about it,” over and over, every other time adding the lyric “anymore.”3 A little bit of editing and trimming could have helped reduce this feeling of repetition.

All that said, In My Grave…Silence is a beautiful listen. It will haunt you with its melodies and plaintive singing, and it will calm you with its lightly-played arrangements. Wusz is a talented musician, and he has made wise choices in who to surround himself with. The long-form compositions he writes are outstanding, and he plays them wonderfully. His songs remind me of classical compositions, and that a record like this gets treated as metal or metal-adjacent says a lot about what makes heavy metal such a diverse musical genre. Across three records, Dolven has made clear improvements, and I have no doubt the next go around will be even better.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Winding Stairs Records
Websites: dolven.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/dolven.oregon
Releases Worldwide: June 13th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AcousticDoom #Agalloch #Aganoor #AmericanMetal #Dolven #DoomMetal #Eneferens #Folk #Hyalithe #InMyGraveSilence #Jun25 #NotMetal #Review #Reviews #Sculptured #SnaresOfSixes #WindingStairsRecords

Word Search Puzzle 32

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http://karafinance.com/2024/02/26/word-search-puzzle-32/