Novembers Doom The Pale Haunt Departure
The End Records TE052 March 8th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Youll forget the weaknesses of To Welcome the Fade as soon as The Pale Haunt Departure begins. This time, Novembers Doom have progressed significantly since their previous effort. And, The End Records has not only gobbled up a strong band for their roster, but they also have another worthy contender for album of the year.
What will immediately catch your eye is the stunning artwork found within the liner notes. It is similar to the incomparable style of Travis Smith, but was actually illustrated by Attila Kis. Other famous faces pop up in the mixing and mastering departments too. Helming the mixing board is none other than Dan Swano (Bloodbath, Edge of Sanity, Nightingale), and at the mastering board is figurehead James Murphy (Testament, Obituary, ex-Death). So, with an illustrious crew, Novembers Doom plow through numbers like the uber-heavy The Pale Haunt Departure and ultra-dense Swallowed by the Moon. The instrumentation found on this particular record is great, and Kuhrs vocal performance is spot-on. I love that I can actually understand what hes saying, and that his vocalizations are obviously not unintelligible. Kuhrs clean vox are notable as well; the aforementioned are perhaps in the same bleak vein as Agallochs. Autumn Reflection is much more flaccid than its predecessors, but is still welcome despite its penchant for softness. Dark World Burden utilizes the old double-bass while the cataclysmic riffs chug along. If you desire a powerful performance, look no further than the vocal, entry point in Dark World Burden. The 2:40 minute mark is strangely enrapturing, as is the acoustic-laden In the Absence of Grace. The familiar juxtaposition between soft and hard passages is conjured shortly after inception, though. The Dead Leaf Echo is much more organic than other songs on The Pale Haunt Departure, and is reminiscent of mellow Agalloch with the sensibility of, dare I say, Enslaved. I hear some Enslaved in there somewhere. Collapse of the Falling Throe is perhaps the closest that Novembers Doom come to the doom style on the full-length. Its slow, steady pace aids the aforesaid notion, but the composition does elevate to at least a mid-paced tempo.
Its not impossible to draw comparisons to other bands when listening to The Pale Haunt Departure, but Novembers Doom have trudged a long way to get to this point. This album is their vindication. If you like Agalloch, Opeth, and others with dejected visages, then youll eat this up. If you dont like any of the bands mentioned in the review, youll probably still be swayed by much of The End Recordss latest offering.
9/10
Official Novembers Doom website
Official The End Records website
The End Records TE052 March 8th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Youll forget the weaknesses of To Welcome the Fade as soon as The Pale Haunt Departure begins. This time, Novembers Doom have progressed significantly since their previous effort. And, The End Records has not only gobbled up a strong band for their roster, but they also have another worthy contender for album of the year.
What will immediately catch your eye is the stunning artwork found within the liner notes. It is similar to the incomparable style of Travis Smith, but was actually illustrated by Attila Kis. Other famous faces pop up in the mixing and mastering departments too. Helming the mixing board is none other than Dan Swano (Bloodbath, Edge of Sanity, Nightingale), and at the mastering board is figurehead James Murphy (Testament, Obituary, ex-Death). So, with an illustrious crew, Novembers Doom plow through numbers like the uber-heavy The Pale Haunt Departure and ultra-dense Swallowed by the Moon. The instrumentation found on this particular record is great, and Kuhrs vocal performance is spot-on. I love that I can actually understand what hes saying, and that his vocalizations are obviously not unintelligible. Kuhrs clean vox are notable as well; the aforementioned are perhaps in the same bleak vein as Agallochs. Autumn Reflection is much more flaccid than its predecessors, but is still welcome despite its penchant for softness. Dark World Burden utilizes the old double-bass while the cataclysmic riffs chug along. If you desire a powerful performance, look no further than the vocal, entry point in Dark World Burden. The 2:40 minute mark is strangely enrapturing, as is the acoustic-laden In the Absence of Grace. The familiar juxtaposition between soft and hard passages is conjured shortly after inception, though. The Dead Leaf Echo is much more organic than other songs on The Pale Haunt Departure, and is reminiscent of mellow Agalloch with the sensibility of, dare I say, Enslaved. I hear some Enslaved in there somewhere. Collapse of the Falling Throe is perhaps the closest that Novembers Doom come to the doom style on the full-length. Its slow, steady pace aids the aforesaid notion, but the composition does elevate to at least a mid-paced tempo.
Its not impossible to draw comparisons to other bands when listening to The Pale Haunt Departure, but Novembers Doom have trudged a long way to get to this point. This album is their vindication. If you like Agalloch, Opeth, and others with dejected visages, then youll eat this up. If you dont like any of the bands mentioned in the review, youll probably still be swayed by much of The End Recordss latest offering.
9/10
Official Novembers Doom website
Official The End Records website
