Cold Colours 'MMXIV' reviews

[coldcolours]

"Dark, melodic, powerful and moving is how I start to sum up COLD COLOURS newest EP “MMXIV”. Whenever I get a review it’s sometimes hard to decipher the genre of music depending on the band name. With the name COLD COLOURS, I was thinking maybe some European electro-pop progression?! I’m glad this wasn’t the case.

“MMXIV” opens up with the lead off track “Heathen”, it has a slow, doom and gloom intro. But then it gets heavier with the growling vocals but doesn’t get real fast, which is cool, very fitting for the song.

The next tune, “From This Pain” also has that slow melodic intro but then you get some double kick in this one and some speed. This track to me sounds very similar to AMON AMARTH except the Viking references.

The Final track on COLD COLOURS new EP “MMXIV” is titled “Terminal Winter”, them being from Minnesota, I can imagine. Living in Wisconsin myself, this winter sucked. However, this tune does no suck, its COLD COLOURS eclectic sound of dark and powerful yet has melody and ferocity.

If you are fans of melodic doom/death metal…definitely check these guys out. You can even go to their website and stream the album. I dig them and you will too."
8 out of 10

-METAL TEMPLE

 

[coldcolours]

"Hailing from the USA, today we have Atmospheric Death/Doom Metal outfit Cold Colours and their three songs EP “MMXIV”. With a distinctive European sound, this band reminds us of a slower and gloomier version of Swallow The Sun, My Dying Bride, and Frailty mixed in with some Thorns of The Carrion and (older) Eternal Tears of Sorrow influences. If the name-dropping was not enough for you to pick a copy of this, we will surely convince you by the end of this review.

Opening with the bleak “Heathen”, the band instantly paints a very desolate melodic atmosphere with great pace and weeping guitars. This opening is indeed quite doomy and yet unconventional for what we usually get from Doom bands. The singing is a mixture of growls and screams that works quite well with the pace of the music. After warming you up with a solid opener, the band goes full Doom on the crushing “From This Pain”. Again, the riffing is brilliant and nicely outlined by very solid drumming. The tempo changes are brilliant and deliver a truly intense rollercoaster-like experience.

The band closes with the very traditional heavy guitars of “Terminal Winter”. This track gives us a mixture of My Dying Bride with Thorns of the Carrion thanks to its diverse vocals (clean, shrieks, growls). If you don’t find yourself head-banging to this Doom masterpiece, then you should probably start listening to a different genre.

Overall, “MMXIV” features three excellent songs from this outfit from Minnesota, where it is truly cold and bleak in the winters. Being very atypical for the USA, we give this band extra props for trying their luck with suck a rich and crushing sound that might not be fully appreciated in the country. If you are looking for bleak soundscapes filled with demoralizing Doom riffs, look no further and get a copy of this."
89 out of 100

-INFERNAL MASQUERADE WEBZINE

 

[coldcolours]

"Cold Colours is the kind of domineering doom metal band who have a colossal bottom end and a sense of the riff that is to die for. Their new EP, MMXIV though only three songs long is the sort of release that speaks to the eternal might of doom within our souls. These Minneapolis natives are really pushing a new type of doom metal sound, the sort of Saturnus inspired madness that lurks within us all. Turn it up boys and girls, MMXIV is not meant for the faint of heart, but rather bold metal warriors, who stand strong in the face of adversity and always bring the mosh.

Maybe what strikes me so much about MMXIV after a handful of listens is the colossal sadness found within. And rather than the sort of melancholic depression you often find in doom metal Cold Colours seem to be preaching something different, they drag you into hell with them. Songs like From This Pain have the ability to tear your heart apart and bring you down into a well of darkness that there is no true escape from. Cold Colours grasp the inner darkness of doom metal better than most of their peers. Their riffs are strangely engaging, despairing, but strangely beautiful, speaking to the bleak nature of the human condition in a very poignant and passionate way.

As the record collapses into a destructive conclusion with Terminal Winter, ultimate despair has been revealed to the listener. Yet, somehow, this makes me feel stronger, like through the sublime darkness of Cold Colours we have found another way out, a new direction, life in the hatred and perhaps even inner peace. Am I attributing too much to what is essentially a one man project? Probably. But this is the sort of doom that gets to the heart and soul, and I think it's important to realize that, so turn it up and fall in, what else have you got to do?"

-TWO GUYS METAL REVIEWS

 

[coldcolours]

" Cold Colours are a band from Minnesota that has been featured before in this zine and plays a very depressive, atmospheric and gothic form of doom/death metal and this is a review of their self released 2014 ep "MMXIV".

Clean and distorted playing start off the ep along with some melodic guitar leads which leads up to a heavier doom metal direction along with elements of 70's progressive rock and then blackened death metal screams start to become a part of the music along with some growls and they also mix the clean and heavy parts together.

Violins can be heard in the background at times and all of the musicla instruments on the recording have a very powerful sound to them and the band mixes in a lot of depressive melodies in their gothic approach to doom and death metal along with some black metal elements being utilized at times and the gothic metal parts sound even more powerful when the band goes into mid paced mode.

Cold Colours continue their depressive and melodic gothic doom/death metal sound of the previous album while also showing a great amount of growth as musicians, the production sounds very professional for being a self released recording while the lyrics cover dark, depressive, nature and heathenism themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Cold Colours and if you are a fan of depressive, gothic doom/death metal, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACK "From This Pain".
8 out of 10

DOOMED TO DARKNESS ZINE

 

[coldcolours]

"(7/10) Cold Colors, the band from Brian J. Huebner, released a new EP called "MMXIV" which contains three songs. Those are a logical continuation from their fourth album "Cold colours". The band sticks to the dark metal song with the distinctive vocals of Huebner.

"Heathen" is a slow and riff based metal tune. The song has a quite melodic guitar line while the vocals are rough and with edges. The song combines fragile parts and heavy sound eruptions in a good way. "From this pain" follows the same pattern, eventhough I have to say that the speed increases. The track gets pretty fast half way which fits very well. Back to slow riffing. "Terminal winter" takes out pace again and in an almost doom way the song has its moments.

The EP is a bit better than the latest full-length album. The tunes seem to be a bit more well thought trough and I have the feeling, that the songwriting improved. A chance in the line-up might had an influence on this. All fans of bands like Amorphis and My Dying Bride should give band a chance.
7 out of 10

-MARKUS' HEAVY MUSIC BLOG

 

[coldcolours]

"The brainchild of Brian James Huebner, Cold Colours has been around for 19 years by now, with four full-lengths and some EPs and demos to their name. 2014 now sees the kind of aptly titled fourth EP MMXIV, and usually something dubbed “atmospheric death/gothic metal” indeed does appeal to me, so I secured the exclusive rights to review this one for TMO.

Not familiar with any of the earlier material, MMXIV is a hybrid between gothic and doom metal with growls and some excursions into the realms of melodic death metal, and when concentrating on the doom/gothic side of things, Huebner manages to build up a nice dark and brooding atmosphere that manages to lessen the bright sunshine outside at least a little. Opener “Heathen” is the best example for this and while it is not genre-defining it is a more than solid effort. “From This Pain” speeds things up a little, setting out more mid-paced before moving up through some thunderous double-bass up to melodic death metal and that is when things begin to go awry a little, because he does not manage to maintain the atmosphere anymore.

When Cold Colours move closer towards melodic death metal, they turn more generic and interchangeable, when operating at slower speeds, though, the dark atmosphere works and, while there still is room for improvement, should be the way to go for the future. While MMXIV is only meant as an appetizer, my hunger for more is limited…"
6 OUT OF 10

-THE METAL OBSERVER

 

[coldcolours]

"Though Cold Colours just released a full-length album last year with their first self-titled disc, (I’ll have to add that they’ve had quite a few releases before that one) this appears to be a small follow-up EP. It very much seems to follow the same style as the band’s self-titled album, which infused melancholy yet melodic riff melodies with pumping death metal. “Heathen” follows a thick doom/death approach, with pummeling vocal lines backed by slightly depressive melodies which seem very much in character for the act. A brightly lit solo helps to raise the quality of the piece even higher. “From This Pain” continues this same approach, yet adds some Dark Tranquillity aesthetics into the mix, making for a memorable listen. The last one here is “Terminal Winter” which continues to pound us with melancholy doom/death, as it continues to bring Cold Colours back to their origins in this style. Though the band has taken on many forms throughout the years, I certainly see this return to form as a wildly beneficial decision that metalheads everywhere will agree with. If these three tracks are nothing more than ideas the band had been tinkering around with to get them into the groove for that next release, then that next release is going to be spectacular. Hold on to your hats here, because we’ve seriously got something that’s going to put the bump in those things that go bump in the night, coupled with tears, pain and sorrow all rolled into one. It’s a perfect soundtrack to walking through the woods after midnight and sets the mood for any reflective evening. To be honest, MMXIV is a good listen anywhere… just so long as it’s dark. (Eric May)"

-NEW NOISE MAGAZINE

 

[coldcolours]

"If you’re in the mood for some old fashioned depressive doom metal, then look no further, Cold Colours’ new EP titled MMXIV is exactly what you are looking for. The three track EP, which clocks in at almost nineteen minutes, is a nice block of heavy, brutally depressing doom metal. If you’re a fan of Sentenced or Moonspell, then you will probably dig this album. Cold Colours hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota and the band was born from a side project of a band called Wolfthorn, who has been around since 1995. Cold Colours eventually became its own entity in 1999 and has since been constantly cranking out doomy-as-hell music ever since.

“The music and lyrics definitely paint a picture of despair and agony for the listener.”

Cold Colours’s new EP may be a little short, but it makes up for that with three great tracks. All three songs are heavy as hell, bringing with them a dark and ominous atmosphere, like you find in many bands in the genre. The lyrics deal with pretty typical depressive doom metal subject: pain, misery, agony, suicide and winter. The music and lyrics definitely paint a picture of despair and agony for the listener. Most of the music is relatively soft, yet also has a heavy presence.

The first song, “Heathen“, is a song that deals with what I can only imagine to be total betrayal. The song, like the whole EP, carries on at a nice and slow pace. Filled with calming, yet dark guitar riffs and the occasional heavy riff. The main riff in the song is very simple, yet still memorable. About two thirds of the way through the song there is a nice, old-school guitar solo that really gives the song a lot more character. The song definitely gets its point across in a very effective way. Whoever this song is about was probably a total piece of shit. This song in particular reminded me a lot of the band Eyes of Fire.


The second song on the EP is called “From this Pain“. This song is depressive-as-fuck. It deals heavily with the idea of suicide. The lyrics are about total misery and loss. The song is a bit more complex than “Heathen”, with more complex drumming throughout and more complicated riffs and leads. The song is so heavy and conveys deep feelings of melancholy and complete sadness. The more you listen to this album, the more you realize how abysmally sad and dark it really is. However, in this song in particular, the riffs just constantly get better and better. The drums leave a little to be desired in the grand scheme of things, but they are fitting for the genre. The outro riff for this song is completely perfect for this song. From this Pain was just a wonderfully written song.


The final song is entitled “Terminal Winter“. This song is what you’d imagine hearing if you were literally freezing to death in the middle of an arctic tundra: sad, slow and completely depressing. The song is a bit slower than the previous two, but no less heavy. This song has some wonderful riffs and tone, in fact it has some of my favorite tones throughout the entire EP. The song creates an atmosphere of cold nothingness. Some of the riffs and atmosphere remind me a lot of Dark Forest’s Land of the Evening Star. Complete loss. You can almost feel the snow falling. An excellent song for those who hate the summer and crave the cold abyss.


Overall, I really enjoyed this EP. During my first time listening to the EP, I was a little underwhelmed. I enjoy depressive doom, but I didn’t notice anything that stood out as all that unique at first. Then when I had more time, I sat down and really listened to the album. I took in the atmosphere and the lyrics; and as I really experienced the album, I found myself completely into it. My only issue with the album was that a lot of the drumming was somewhat boring, or just not very creative. Not that exciting or interesting drumming is very common in the realm of depressive doom, but still, I found myself really let down by some of the drumming. If it weren’t for that, I’d definitely give it a higher rating. But don’t let that turn you off to this album! This is a really awesome, depressing-as-fuck EP, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre."
7 out of 10

-NEFARIOUS REALM

 

[coldcolours]

"This Minneapolis, Minnesota-based act has existed in some form since 1995 when they began as Wolfthorn, who were a side project of vocalist Brian James Huebner.

In 1999 the group became known as Cold Colours, and a year later issued debut effort Somnium XIII. Cold Colours was the fourth full-length release from the band, who is known for their melodic strains of doomy yet progressive metal. It emerged in 2013, and has now been followed by this three-track EP.

Often regarded as dabbling with depressive doom metal, Cold Colours continues with the vain of growled vocals from Huebner which are complemented by the intriguing instrumentation provided by lead guitarist Aaron Lott, rhythm guitarist Matt Hamilton, and two drummers in the shape of Will Maravelas (‘Heathen’ and ‘From This Pain&#8217 and Mike Andrie (drums on ‘Terminal Winter&#8217.

Musically, in spite of its depressive edge, MMXIV is a competent – if a tad cold – metal record which successfully combines weight and melody, the result being three shadowy numbers which never weigh the listener down. This is very much contemporary doom metal, although the vocals do have a sprig of metalcore angst about them – something which I rarely applaud, but in the scheme of things the deathlier aspects of this EP enable the aggression to outweigh the sombre progression.

The main ingredient here that seems to fuel proceedings is emotion, because although there are sprays of chugging riffs, much of the record is in fact uplifting and only hints at shades of grey rather than suffocating black. The leads worm their way through the clammy mist and the riffs have an almost black metal grate about them at times, and so the images that are conjured are ones that are bleak but never unrewarding.

Thankfully, Cold Colours do not succumb to the powers of the over-long song syndrome. Instead, the trio of numbers gracefully drift by and culminate in the EP’s most impressive number which is ‘Terminal Winter’. It has an aching quality about it and the drums and guitar almost chime together like some distant yawning bell, but the variation with the slightly clearer vocals means that there is an air of the woeful here more evident than on any other track. As this is modern metal though, it just doesn’t evoke the graven shadows that one comes to expect from doom metal.

Nonetheless, there are several positives about this opus – namely the juddering bass-lines and the stirring leads – but it’s far from being the depressive ambush I expected. While the EP comes crusted with an icy chill, it is soon melted by the contemporary aesthetics of it all, meaning that MMXIV is a solid release but not necessarily one doom-laden enough to bring the rain.

Neil Arnold"
6 out of 10

-METAL FORCES MAGAZINE

 

[coldcolours]

"When I stumbled into reviewing the MMXIV EP by Minnesotans Cold Colours I thought I am introducing a new band to the MetalReviews pages, but was surprised to find that my colleague Andy already covered their earlier full-length eponymous release, giving them a little harsh marks, especially for the quality of their songwriting. I am not sure why MMXIV comes out as a self-financed release after the previous album was on a label (Sleaszy Rider Records). Maybe Cold Colours, and their mastermind Brian Huebner, have decided to start anew. If they did, and MMXIV is certainly their fresh start with me, I did not spot those songwriting faults Andy has descried.

All three songs on the EP are going somewhere, with their driving dark melodies. Sometimes the cleaner acoustics and keyboard flavouring touches are mixed with slowed down Gothenburg sound (Heathen). From This Pain presents a loopy repeating melody with Primordial persistent guitar hooks (only with a lot less passion). From This Pain then subsequently proceeds to put on a full double bass press and even some blast resemblance. Terminal Winter is at first a slowed down brood, until it slips into Sentenced-like groove. Mid-career Sentenced could actually be somewhat of a comparison here, as these songs do call for a cleaner voice, but a brief passage in Terminal Winter shows why that method of delivery is not chosen. Brian's harsh vocals are not any more impressive, are purely paint-by-numbers and would not be confused with outstanding. Fortunately for Cold Colours guitar work on the EP is strong (including solos) and for this genre of metal it is a determining factor.

MMXIV is not a bad way to breathe a new life into a band."
67 out of 100

-METALREVIEWS.COM

 

[coldcolours]

"Playing death-doom with gothic touches, Cold Colours churn out dark, sinister riffs that interweave with raw, slightly blackened vocals. This EP gets better as it progresses. The opening song, ‘Heathen’ is a little hesitant and flat, but is followed by ‘From This Pain’ which reveals the band’s more epic-sounding, catchy side, a little like a disappointed version of In Flames. Best of all, though, is the third and final track, ‘Terminal Winter’ – here, the band turn to one of doom metal’s fail-proof ‘secret’ weapons, the colossal church bell, and they show a great appreciation of what makes a great, Paradise Lost-style song. ‘MMXIV’ is not inspirational, but it’s far from dull."
6 out of 10

-DOOM METAL HEAVEN

 

[coldcolours]

"Something good is going on here... The first track on this EP, Heathen, starts with black rasping in the style of Rotting Christ , which gives way to death-metal vocals. And the music is... I keep thinking it reminds me of something, but I'm not sure what. All I know is that I like it. There's a lot of musical scope, with good, clear instrumentation, and it sounds effortlessly cohesive. Some may want to call it doom, but I would prefer just to call it heavy metal. Not exactly retro, but just… metal. Maybe slightly progressive, and definitely melodic, but also driving and confident.

The next track, From This Pain, sounds more like what I'd loosely call death metal, but certainly doesn't limit itself to the genre. Again, it's really just metal. Halfway through it introduces minor notes that send the track in a more tragic direction, but it never gets self-indulgent. In fact, it picks up pace at about the same time, lending it a full and epic feel. And still the instrumentation remains tight and on-point. These guys know what they're doing.

Terminal Winter is the final track on the EP. Listening to it, I suddenly remember who they remind me of: Grand Magus. Not in all ways, but there are hints. Their vocals aren't clean like Grand Magus's, and they do throw in a bit more variety, but like Grand Magus their metal is strong and free of pretension.

I hope the full-length album that's supposed to follow this EP is going to show Cold Colours turning up the heat more. I suspect that would be the final touch needed to render their music timeless.
More about the band HERE

Score: a well-deserved 7/10"

-THE CRANIAL FORGE

 

[coldcolours]

" Hailing from Minneapolis, USA here are depressive doom metallers Cold Colours. The line-up is Brian J. Huebner on vocals, bass and keyboards, guitarists Aaron Lott and Matt Hamilton. Will Maravelas takes care of the drums on track 1 and 2, while Mike Andrie does on track 3. In 2013 their latest full length was released and now there is a new digital EP out called MMXIV.

MMXIV contains three tracks with an total length of 19 minutes. It sounds dark, depressive, doomy and good produced. It has a little dreamy touch, but still it is very heavy. You can hear that the musicians on this album are really good. Sometimes the melodies, for example, of the guitars and drums are very different from each other, but sounds perfect. Also the transitions between fast and slow are done very good. It is not an album everybody could make, these are really good musicians.

Doom is your thing? Go listen this EP. I recommend it very much. "

-DUTCH METAL MANIAC

 

[coldcolours]

"

Brian James Huebner, Kopf und an sich einzig festes Bandmitglied der US-Doomer COLD COLOURS, ist schon ein umtriebiger Geist, seit dem ersten Lebenszeichen im Jahr 2000 bringt es seine Kapelle auf nicht weniger als zehn Veröffentlichungen. Wie im Underground aber so üblich, relativiert sich das Ganze ziemlich schnell wieder, denn neben vier Langspielplatten (immerhin!) finden sich standesgemäß EPs und Demos im Backkatalog. So ist auch “MMXIV” (lat. für 2014) wohl mehr ein kleines Zwischenhappen, schließlich haben es nur drei Songs auf die Platte geschafft.

Diese warten aber durchaus mit der einen oder anderen Überraschung auf. War das selbstbetitelte Vorgängeralbum noch sehr schleppend und dadurch mit einigen Längen gesegnet, hauen COLD COLOURS dieses Mal in Sachen Geschwindigkeit schon die eine oder andere zackige Passage raus. Auch der Gesang scheint jetzt kraftvoller, allerdings nicht unbedingt variabler, hier wäre ein Ansatzpunkt, den man zukünftig mal angehen könnte.
Musikalisch tut man in diesem Bereich jedenfalls einiges, das Tempo wechselt häufig, die Gitarre spielt gerne auch mal akustisch, das Schlagzeug setzt im entsprechenden Rahmen einige Akzente, man ist fast geneigt, mehr Abwechslung als auf dem vorherigen Langspieler zu attestieren.
Alles in allem kann man schon erkennen, dass Huebner seinen Stil gefunden hat. Die Musik klingt trotz aller Entwicklungen nach COLD COLOURS, wie sie sich auf dem Vorgänger präsentiert haben, düstere Atmosphäre mit emotionalen Ausbrüchen und Augenblicken von einiger epischer Größe.

Vermutlich muss man schon ein großer Freund von EPs sein, sonst lohnt sich eine Anschaffung nur bedingt. Dies liegt aber nicht an der Qualität, die ist gut und in drei Songs sogar besser als beim letzten Album, aber die Tatsache, dass man es mit lediglich 19 Minuten Musik zu tun hat, macht einen Kauf sehr überdenkenswert. Da Brian aber scheinbar jede Menge Zeit und Kreativität in sich vereint, kann man sicher bald mit einem neuen Album rechnen."

TRANSLATION?"
"Brian James Huebner , Head and to be the only permanent member of the US - Doomer COLD COLOURS is already a go-getting spirit , since the first signs of life in 2000, brings his band to not less than ten publications . As in the Underground but as usual , the whole thing into perspective pretty quickly , because in addition to four LPs ( at least ! ) Found befitting EPs and demos in the back catalog . So is " MMXIV " ( lat . 2014 ) probably a little more intermediate Happen , finally have managed only three songs on the record .

These wait quite on the one or other surprise . Was the self-titled previous album still very slow and is blessed with some lengths , COLD COLOURS cut this time in terms of speed already out one way or another jagged passage . Even the vocals seem now more powerful , but not necessarily variable , here would be a starting point that one could address in future times .
Musically in this area to do at any rate some, the pace changes frequently , the guitar plays like sometimes acoustic, drums sets in the corresponding frame some accents , one is almost inclined to certify more variety than on the previous long- player .
All in all, one can already see that Huebner has found his style . The music sounds despite all the developments following COLD COLOURS , as they presented themselves to the predecessor , dark atmosphere with emotional outbursts and moments of some epic size .

Probably you have been a great friend of EPs , otherwise a purchase is worthwhile only conditionally . But this is not because of the quality , which is good and in three songs even better than the last album , but the fact that you are dealing with only 19 minutes of music , makes a purchase very worth considering . Since Brian but apparently combines a lot of time and creativity in yourself , you can certainly expect a new album soon ."

-METAL1.INFO

 

[coldcolours]

"Cold Colours’ new EP “MMXIV” is a depressive doom release that has a dark and deathly feeling to it. Within the melancholy though is some impressive melody and guitar shreding and the solos make you feel the emotion as it pulls you into the shadows and leaves you there to rot. The vocals are good but they sort of don’t fit in with the music. That does not mean I do not enjoy them, for that would be false. Musically, Cold Colours gives us a deep and cold atmosphere with their music and you can just feel it. Truly impressive work. 3.5 out of 5"

-HEADBANG OR GTFO