Oathean Fading Away Into the Grave of Nothingness
The End Records February 22nd, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Koreans Oathean arent devoid of a back catalogue, although some arent aware of that seldom-known fact. I wasnt. Thankfully, however, The End Records has yet again provided us with a quality release that wouldve gone unheard, had it not been for the benevolence of the record label. To move on, Fading Away Into the Grave of Nothingness is a melodic black metal album that utilizes classical instruments in a masterful fashion.
From the starting gate, the audience is treated to Distant Requiem Buried Within, which unsurprisingly serves as a Cradle of Filth-esque introductory piece. Comparisons to the former are warranted in a few specific instances. Dont let that scare you off, though. Oatheans latest is rewarding apart from menial comparisons. Wandering Soul commences equitably, and the vocals though traditional are good. Conversely, the keyboards are very upfront in the mix, which may turn potential listeners off. In other words, overbearing synths run rampant on the album. At the 2:10 minute mark, the violin enters the melee and the inclusion was an excellent choice, in my opinion. The guitar lead takes place during the songs climax. From the Depths of Despair (how many poems/songs have this name?) tends to prefer the organ as the pace differentiates as much as the wind. The bass drum production is slightly weak, because the drums tones sound 2D. I wouldve loved better-produced drums, but thats a minor gripe. Oathean seemingly expel no energy when transitioning to The Origin or A Life of Suffering Craving the Darkness. The keyboard-laden black metal strums along on Voice of My Soul. Beyond the Memories I Lost resorts to a plodding pace, which is atypical for most of the material on Fading Away Into the Grave of Nothingness. The tempo does accelerate after the passage of time, though. Scent of Longing relies on towering, female vocalizations, and the aforementioned is arguably as morose as any of the faster, metal renderings on the record. The band do stick with their cultural origin in the distinctly Oriental Road To ; its one of the finer tunes due to the lack of Asian influence within the metal realm. The live track In Fear with Shiver isnt fantastic by any means, and The Money From the Tobacco Pouch retains the strange aura that manifested itself earlier. Childs vocals intertwine with black vox to create an interesting span of moments.
A quick recap: this is an Asian-tinged Cradle of Filth but with a heavier reliance on the eighty-eight keyed instrument. Oathean are loads better than their British adversaries, though, and its not difficult getting acclimated to the group. Fading Away Into the Grave of Nothingness should cause a few irreparable dents in your album queue.
8/10
Official Oathean website
Official The End Records website
The End Records February 22nd, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Koreans Oathean arent devoid of a back catalogue, although some arent aware of that seldom-known fact. I wasnt. Thankfully, however, The End Records has yet again provided us with a quality release that wouldve gone unheard, had it not been for the benevolence of the record label. To move on, Fading Away Into the Grave of Nothingness is a melodic black metal album that utilizes classical instruments in a masterful fashion.
From the starting gate, the audience is treated to Distant Requiem Buried Within, which unsurprisingly serves as a Cradle of Filth-esque introductory piece. Comparisons to the former are warranted in a few specific instances. Dont let that scare you off, though. Oatheans latest is rewarding apart from menial comparisons. Wandering Soul commences equitably, and the vocals though traditional are good. Conversely, the keyboards are very upfront in the mix, which may turn potential listeners off. In other words, overbearing synths run rampant on the album. At the 2:10 minute mark, the violin enters the melee and the inclusion was an excellent choice, in my opinion. The guitar lead takes place during the songs climax. From the Depths of Despair (how many poems/songs have this name?) tends to prefer the organ as the pace differentiates as much as the wind. The bass drum production is slightly weak, because the drums tones sound 2D. I wouldve loved better-produced drums, but thats a minor gripe. Oathean seemingly expel no energy when transitioning to The Origin or A Life of Suffering Craving the Darkness. The keyboard-laden black metal strums along on Voice of My Soul. Beyond the Memories I Lost resorts to a plodding pace, which is atypical for most of the material on Fading Away Into the Grave of Nothingness. The tempo does accelerate after the passage of time, though. Scent of Longing relies on towering, female vocalizations, and the aforementioned is arguably as morose as any of the faster, metal renderings on the record. The band do stick with their cultural origin in the distinctly Oriental Road To ; its one of the finer tunes due to the lack of Asian influence within the metal realm. The live track In Fear with Shiver isnt fantastic by any means, and The Money From the Tobacco Pouch retains the strange aura that manifested itself earlier. Childs vocals intertwine with black vox to create an interesting span of moments.
A quick recap: this is an Asian-tinged Cradle of Filth but with a heavier reliance on the eighty-eight keyed instrument. Oathean are loads better than their British adversaries, though, and its not difficult getting acclimated to the group. Fading Away Into the Grave of Nothingness should cause a few irreparable dents in your album queue.
8/10
Official Oathean website
Official The End Records website
