THE NOVELLA RESERVOIR - REVIEWS

[Novembers Paul]

November’s Doom is one of the better melodic death metal bands out there today. Over the course of their six albums, they have improved on something each and every time. With THE NOVELLA RESERVOIR, they may very well have put all the elements together. A roaring, raging slab of absolute hatred and unresolved spiritual outpouring, this Chicago band proves that they are miles ahead of the bulk of the Death Metal pack. The title track is a balance between metal beauty and absolute disgust as it sludges along with power and ferocity. Songs like the punishing “Drown The Inland Mere” are complex, yet feature a musical sound that would be appealing not only to Death Metal elitists, but those kids that live for the next Lamb Of God or Shadows Fall release. Overall, THE NOVELLA RESERVOIR is killer.

PITRIFF RATING – 9/10 - In many ways, November’s doom is the band I always hoped Anathema would evolve into, but didn’t. Angry, fast and furious; yet complex and well thought out, THE NOVELLA RESERVOIR is a real treat for fans of the heavier stuff. Get it immediately.

Reviewed by Chris Akin
http://www.pitriff.com/

 

[Novembers Paul]

Novembers Doom has obviously been paying attention to the ass whooping the Finns have been bestowing upon the doom/death genre and metal masses in recent years, and they aren’t gonna sit around any longer and let that slide without sending out a message of their own. Studio album number six, entitled The Novella Reservoir, is an impressively strong statement showing this band has finally come into their own and will not go down without a fight.

While the band’s mission to create dark n’ gloomy doom/death has stayed fairly consistent throughout the past few albums, it’s this album that will perk up more ears than ever before for these talented Chicago natives. The album jumps out of the gate with the very energetic “Rain” and leaves a cloud of dust in its wake. Two things are immediately evident – this band has never sounded better production-wise, and they’ve upped the ante in the songwriting department. By bringing a more urgent pace coupled with bone crushing riffage to the songs "Drown the Inland Mire", "The Voice of Failure" and "Dominate the Human Strain", the band shows that they have a more complex and blistering side to their sound, as each track fleshes out an ominous and energetic fury that has been hidden for far too long. The acoustically driven "Twilight of Innocence" gleams with beauty and shows a vocal performance that, while some of the lyrics are of a more sensitive nature, personifies a confident release of emotion in its delivery. The near ballad-esque closer, aptly named "Leaving This", soothes with an anthem-like chorus and ending that will have you humming it even after the song has ended. Great vocals that go from growls of deepened and darkened girth, to very well thought out cleanly melodic passages that flourish with assurance and self-belief litter the album. The title track and "The Were Left to Die" are more consistent with what has been heard on the previous couple of albums, but both are more structured and more aggressive in nature, yet contain a much sloooowwwer and brooding gait the band has always been know for. All in all Novembers Doom has finally written an album that ebbs and flows with an extremely strong listenable factor from front to back.

In conclusion, doom/death metal fans can’t go wrong with this record, and it is abso-fucking-lutely worth your time and cash. Fans of the band will be more than pleased, and folks who have heard past material but weren’t sold might be pleasantly surprised as well. Novembers Doom has found an impressive stride with this record, and have released an album that will be seen on some year end lists, there’s no doubting that. It’s definitely an early contender to make mine.

Reviewed by Jon Eardley
http://www.metalreview.com/

 

[Novembers Paul]

Chicagoans Novembers Doom have just released their sixth full-length album, but it’s actually only their second for The End as long as one excludes the re-release of 2002’s To Welcome the Fade. And even though their moniker seems to say otherwise, they’re more death than doom now, and have been for a while. Like 2005’s The Pale Haunt Departure, the 46-minute The Novella Reservoir features an illustrious cast of characters who have once again united to produce a strong record, which is surely the band’s finest to date.

On the same note, Swanö (Bloodbath, Edge of Sanity, Nightingale) returned to the mixing board and Murphy (ex-Death, ex-Testament) to the mastering, while Smith (Seempieces) helmed the artwork, with some help from vocalist Paul Kuhr (Subterranean Masquerade). The production’s even better than that of TPHD, but for better or worse, the cover art is in many ways similar to Novembre’s Materia – another Smith piece – yet fits the lyrical content quite well, as do the inlay graphics.

Speaking solely about the music, though, The Novella Reservoir sees Novembers Doom settling into a style whose evolution has spanned the past few albums. It appears the band is more driven this time around – not to mention faster and heavier. Aside from the overwhelmingly emotional ‘Twilight Innocence,’ much of TNR crushes. From thunderous opener ‘Rain’ to the title track that will remind some of ‘Swallowed by the Moon’ to the riff-fest ‘Drown the Inland Mere,’ it’s apparent ND are out to craft the best songs of their career. Less stellar, however, is the latter portion of the disc, which includes ‘The Voice of Failure,’ ‘They Were Left to Die,’ ‘Dominate the Human Strain,’ and the Woods of Ypres-esque closer ‘Leaving This,’ though all of the above are still good, sturdy numbers. Eventually you may begin skipping ‘Twilight Innocence’ simply because it’s a lull in the action and/or too emotionally charged, but it works well when in the proper mood.

Kuhr – armed with intelligible growls and clean chords – again proves why he’s one of the best vocalists in extreme metal, and the group as a whole have surpassed every endeavor they’ve unleashed this far. And while they only occasionally warrant comparisons to Opeth, it’s too bad they seem to lurk in the shadows behind the popular Swedes. At any rate, The End and Novembers Doom have started 2007 with a bang that’ll reverberate for months to come.

Reviewed By Jason Jordan
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/reviews/286466-novembers-doom-novella-reservoir.html

 

[Novembers Paul]

I remember the first time I was exposed to Novembers Doom: the Chicago-based titans of doom metal. A friend popped in the 2005 masterpiece The Pale Haunt Departure into my car CD deck, turned up the volume past a level that ignored both reason and responsibility, and waited for my reaction. Immediately, the ambient moans mixed in with a foreboding drumbeat and a sludge-like riff of the opening title track completely rocked both myself, and my car, to its core. Sure, my speakers were completely ripped to shreds, and I still have a hard time picking up consonant sounds with my right ear, but it was worth it. You could have colored me impressed at that particular moment.

The Pale Haunt Departure marked a pinnacle in Novembers Doom’s career: critically acclaimed by numerous critics, the band would go on to do some serious touring, and in-turn, make a large mark on the metal world palette. Naturally, when a band comes out with a hit album, their follow up has some monumental expectations to fill. How does a band, whose previous release excels in delivering a slow, brooding sound that puts the listener in a world filled with impending doom, deliver an even more memorable experience?

Simple: they speed it up.

With The Novella Reservoir, Novembers Doom allows the death metal influence to take over and become the driving force behind each song. Don’t fret: the atmospheric elements associated with their doom metal influence are still present. It’s just that things have been sped up a bit: so instead of a crawl through a world of malcontent and destruction, it’s a sprint.

Mixed by Dan Swano (Edge of Sanity, Bloodbath) and mastered by James Murphy (Death), The Novella Reservoir ensures that this speedy trip through Armageddon sounds fantastic. Every guitar riff - from the soothing acoustic opening off “Twilight Innocence” to the brutal chords on “The Voice of Failure” sounds crystal clear. Guitarists Vito Marchese and Larry Roberts tear through every song with a vengeance, with some highlights including a well-placed solo on “The Voice of Failure” and a completely bone-incinerating riff on the title track “The Novella Reservoir”. The complete ferocity of their riffs compliments the vocal styling of Paul Kuhr. Kids, take notes: if you want to hear how a growling is supposed to sound, Paul Kuhr gives a clinic on this album. There’s no doubt that Kuhr’s booming, thunderous voice helps make every Novembers Doom song that much more vicious.

The Novella Reservoir provides a decent amount of variety, using songs like “Twilight Innocence” and “Leaving This” to help give listeners a break from the chaos. The use of the occasional acoustic guitar, keyboard, and clean vocals helps break up the monotony. While I do enjoy both “Drown the Inland Mere” and “The Voice of Failure”, they both have a similar opening that backs up my monotony statement. I have a feeling that if The Novella Reservoir dabbled in the ten to twelve track range, the monotony would be even more obvious. But since the track listing is kept at eight, it’s not as noticeable.

I will be surprised if The Novella Reservoir doesn’t earn the same, if not more, critical acclaim than The Pale Haunt Departure. By speeding up their sound and adding more elements of progression, Novembers Doom continue to hold their place on top of the scorched peaks of the doom metal mountain. And quite frankly, if they can keep the excellent releases coming, few will be able to knock them off the top.

Reviewed by Jason Perry
8.5 / 10
http://www.justpressplay.net/

 

[Novembers Paul]

Don't let the upbeat name fool you: Novembers Doom are a pretty dour lot. They're from Chicago, where the inclement weather has been known to bring about gloominess, depression, Al Jourgensen, and other miseries. Otherwise, this five-piece's sound has very little in common with anything else from their hometown, or even from America. It's firmly rooted in Birmingham, England, or possibly some desolate Norwegian fjord.

On album number six, the group don't stray very far from their signature crushing death-doom. What's impressive is how they continually refine and improve their musicianship and songwriting, and how said style remains unique. They borrow the wall-of-sound death-prog of Opeth, but keep it more concise. There are Paradise Lost-style haunting melodies, but far heavier. My Dying Bride gothic melancholy, but faster and grander. Take that all together, and you have a listening experience akin to getting hit by a freight train of doom. But in a good way!

The biggest change this time around is that Novembers Doom have kicked up the speed. They haven't hit Slayer velocity just yet, but opener "Rain" plows forward right out of the gate, sweeping through your speakers like a hurricane through a graveyard. The title track slows it down a little bit, and vocalist Paul Kuhr brings in the Nick Holmes-alike clean-moaned choruses to counteract his usual pummeling growl. "Drown the Inland Mere" combines the speed and clean choruses and builds on that with a shredding Gothenburg guitar riff. "Twilight Innocence" then tears it all down with a gentle acoustic lullaby. With the gloom interlude out of the way, it's right back to the doom for the rest of the record. The band takes the elements that they established in the first half, combining them and elaborating upon them, creating a cohesive whole that continually builds and evolves until the last song fades to an end.

The lyrics are, as expected, not cheerful.

The Novella Reservoir offers the best of both worlds. The death metal elements make the record listenable outside of dark and stormy nights, and the doom metal elements give it more emotional complexity than you usually find in death metal. If you're into extreme metal, you owe it to yourself to check this out. Just don't forget to bring an umbrella.

Reviewed by Jeff Treppel
http://www.transformonline.com/

 

[Novembers Paul]

In 2005, Novembers Doom made a giant aesthetic leap forward with The Pale Haunt Departure. It put their death metal roots even closer to subtle, multi-dimensional textures in a collection of songs that were not only memorable, but took the band to new levels in orchestrating vocalist Paul Kuhr's somber, often emotionally desperate lyrics. While it's true that the faithful engage in solid debate about the band's high watermark -- Pale Haunt or 2002's To Welcome the Fade -- with 2007's The Novella Reservoir it seems that ND have now laid down an unrelated trilogy of near brilliance in terms of evocative, musically and lyrically sophisticated heavy metal that seamlessly blends death metal, progressive metal, and near gothic soundscapes. There isn't an American band in the genre that comes close to what they do in terms of marrying metal's myriad songwriting forms, sonic adventurousness, and lyrical sophistication. Co-produced with Chris Djuricic, mixed by Dan Swanö, and mastered by James Murphy, the production quotient on this set is grander in scope than any ND studio set to date. The Novella Reservoir is more aggressive than its most recent predecessor without losing any of its melodic invention or textural depth. "Rain" comes crackling out of the gate with a death metal charge to open the set. The layers of guitars of Vito Marchese and Larry Roberts playing harmonics over the riff dictate Kuhr going into his lower register to keep the galloping death metal hook within his grasp. His voice is mixed way up; Kuhr's lyrics are completely clear -- although for the first 300 pre-orders of The Novella Reservoir he offered a fully illustrated complete ND lyrics book as a bonus. He growls against the fury as the guitars climb up the trellis of the void as Joel Nunez's drums walk the line of Chris Wisco's constant-throb bass and keep the tension continuous -- especially after the band explodes into the chaos after the bridge.

The acoustic guitars that introduce the title cut are deceptive, because in less than 30 seconds both electric and bass riffs, swirling melody, and a plodding doom metal verse come crashing into the middle of the mix. Kuhr moves between his growled lower range and his singing voice with help from Wisco and Roberts. It's all gripping, deep and dark failure along with loss and frustration. Kuhn turns his anger both inside and out, but while he indulges his intolerance of his own failures, his acceptance of others' shortcomings is decidedly less malevolent. This is key. Kuhr is like a heavy metal Ian Curtis. He has the images and he's deeply in touch with archetypal images and the modern world's malaise. He's self-indulgent and wrapped in despair without it becoming sordid, but only insofar as stripping off every single ounce of illusion from a given situation. It's not that he's above projecting his anger outward -- check the amazing crunch and crush of "Drown the Inland Mere" for proof. This is the place where death metal and progressive metal come together seamlessly. Neither loses its appeal or its edginess as a result, and the track just soars. There are slower moments on The Novella Reservoir, such as the deeply atmospheric "Twilight Innocence," which is actually a love song with teeth, and the album closer, "Leaving This," a track with a wonderful dynamic range. But the multidimensional death metal cuts are prevalent here -- the unhinged "Dominate the Human Strain" and the mad dash that enters "The Voice of Failure" at about 50 seconds in.

http://shop.vh1.com/The-Novella-Reservoir-Doom-Metal_stcVVproductId8535809VVcatId424145VVviewprod.htm

 

[Novembers Paul]

Six albums into their career, Chicago's Novembers Doom are still specializing in symphonic black metal -- with a most welcome dose of melodicism -- as evidenced by their 2007 release, The Novella Reservoir. Unlike most bands of the genre that are almost entirely one-dimensional (and as a result, quite predictable), Novembers Doom successfully combine heavy riffs and beats with symphonic flourishes, as well as vocals that alternate between guttural growls and almost hymn-like vocalizing -- especially on such standouts as the album's title track and "Drown the Inland Mere." But not all of The Novella Reservoir is metallic -- "Twilight Innocence" remains tranquil from beginning to end, without any death metal trapdoors. Hopefully other modern-day metallists will get the hint from Novembers Doom -- variety is not such a dirty word.

Reviewed by Greg Prato
All Music Guide

 

[Novembers Paul]

On their sixth record (their second for The End Records) Chicago doom veterans Novembers Doom take a giant leap in speed and aggression while keeping their somberly romantic and desolately melodic sound intact. While I haven't heard anything after 2000's impressive "The Knowing" opus, it is safe to assume that on the two records that preceded "The Novella Reservoir" Novembers Doom has continued to perfect the sound they headed in with that record. Similarities with (early) My Dying Bride and (early) Anathema or Paradise Lost are still around, but with this new record the band is confident about making their mark on the genre. With a more up-tempo approach the tracks provide a greater contrast between heavy and atmospheric parts, acoustic and electric sections, additional instrumentation and vocal interplay by frontman Paul Kuhr. Working for the second time wth artist Travis Smith results in a moody cover art that perfectly embodies the lyrical theme that runs through this record. "The Novella Reservoir" was recorded with Chris Djuricic, mixed by the great Dan Swanö (Edge Of Sanity) and mastered by James Murphy (Testament, Death, Obituary) the record comes with a smooth, soothing production that retains enough metallic grittiness while still sounding warm and organic at the same time. Novembers Doom has once again outdone themselves and with "The Novella Reservoir" they prove to be one of the strongest and vital US atmospheric doom metal outfits currently on the scene. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Wouter
8 / 10
http://www.masterful-magazine.com/review_result.php?wynik=detail&id=1726

 

[Novembers Paul]

Doom metal purists, never friends to this powerful U.S. band anyway, will be especially incensed upon the release of "The Novella Reservoir". On this, their sixth album, NOVEMBERS DOOM evolves further away from the tenets of the genre that birthed them, and embraces more fully their own unique and confident blending of multiple kinds of metal. There's an aggression and a fierceness to this album in places that is unprecedented for the band, which may put some off, but the overall result is a complex, dynamic, highly emotional piece of dark heavy metal that's unified in feeling, if not rigid genre dogma.

Opener "Rain" will throw some for a loop right away — it's a harsh, forceful midtempo song with angry, bellowing death vocals and a chugging riff that wouldn't be out of place in a SIX FEET UNDER song! After this abrupt and startling opener, things get more familiar, with a slower tempo and huge, open chords heralding the title track. Even here, though, there's an insistent, forceful tone to the guitars, and vocalist Paul Kuhr sounds lethally pissed off.

Kuhr's clean vocals have really come a long way, and here he uses a multi-tracked chorus in a lower register for a very haunting effect. The juxtaposition of these with his death growls helps create multiple moods within one song, similar to (and I know the band hates this comparison) OPETH at their best, though NOVEMBERS DOOM always retain a more classic, melancholy English sort of doom atmosphere. Even on a more aggressive song, like "The Voice of Failure", we're treated to a heartfelt "clean" chorus, while on "Twilight Innocence" the entire song takes on an almost tender mood, even dishing up some surprisingly uplifting lyrics.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't some radical departure — "They Were Left To Die" and the somber "Leaving This" are perhaps the most familiar-sounding NOVEMBERS DOOM tracks here, delivering the band's classy doom-tinged sound in the most expected way. Even these songs seem infused with an extra intensity, though, a raw urgency and power that few, if any, bands in their field can touch. From their days as devotees of the classic doom/death bands, NOVEMBERS DOOM has become one of the genre's leading lights, and "The Novella Reservoir" finds them rewriting the rule book, effectively creating their own place to dwell in the extreme music pantheon, and laying down one helluva gauntlet for the next generation to follow. Don't worry about genres at all, just embrace it for the somber metal masterpiece it is.

Reviewed by Keith Bergman
9/10
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/showreview.aspx?reviewID=1055

 

[Novembers Paul]

It’s always refreshing when a band can revisit influences and alter their style enough to show both intelligent evolution of their sound and competent understanding of where they came from. This is exactly what NOVEMBERS DOOM did with their most recent release, The Novella Reservoir. Both longtime fans and newcomers alike should be delightfully surprised by this release. NOVEMBERS DOOM has long been known for their prowess as a doom metal powerhouse, but the doom aspect of their songwriting takes a vacation for this release. Instead, this album features some straight up death metal with melodic interludes, some clean vocals, and only a couple of lighter tracks reminiscent of their usual style. Overall, this album is a heavy road less traveled by this talented band. The opening track “Rain” quickly establishes that this album is far different than what your typical NOVEMBERS DOOM expectations would lead you to believe. Paul Kuhr’s growling vocals establish a menacing mood that persists throughout the album, and the overall heaviness ofThe Novella Reservoir should please fans all around. The title track and “They Were Left to Die” contain a greater balance between heavy and melodic elements, while “Drown the Inland Mere,” “The Voice of Failure,” and “Dominate the Human Strain” are the heaviest tracks of them all. The softer songs, “Twilight Innocence” and “Leaving This,” provide a nice break to the heavier tracks, although they do seem somewhat out of place on this album.
Fans of recent OPETH and MY DYING BRIDE releases should find this album quite tasty on their musical palette. However, some long time fans may find this change a bit too drastic. Either way, none can deny that this is an excellent and very mature metal release, and it is worth noting that The End Records offers a version of the album accompanied by an 84-page book detailing photos from every era of the band plus the lyrics of the new album.

Reviewed by Azrael
http://www.apeshit.org/2007/03/22/novembers-doom-the-novella-reservoir/

 

[Novembers Paul]

Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Novembers Doom were first brought to my attention by a disgruntled Opeth fan, who, unimpressed with the band's last offering, was recommending Novembers Doom's The Pale Haunt Departure instead. He informed me that the vocals – clean and harsh – were just as good as Mikael Åkerfeldt's and the songs were simply “much better”, his words, not mine.
I decided to check out The Pale Haunt Departure and enjoyed it immensely. The comparison to Opeth is inevitable as both bands use clean and harsh vocals and have softer sections to complement the more furious metal parts. However, Novembers Doom were a doom metal band, and so the nuances of that genre permeate The Pale Haunt Departure.

The first thing at strikes you as The Novella Reservoir starts is how heavy and atmospheric the first track “Rain” is. Many of their doom metal traits have been replaced by elements more characteristic of death metal. Halfway through the track, the song does slow down before finally pummeling you again until its conclusion.

Paul Kuhr is easily up there with Vader's Piotr Wiwczarek, Akercocke's Jason Mendonca, and Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt's in terms of vocal ability. His growls contain a harshness and clarity few of his peers can match, and his clean vocals retain a great deal of emotion. Its notable to mention that the clean vocals are used more sparingly than on their previous albums, which adds to there effect when they do enter, especially on the final track “Leaving This” where after five minutes, glorious layered vocals are used over an acoustic guitar and later a piano melody as the song slowly fades out.

The title track is another high point, starting with gentle acoustics it soon explodes into a majestic metal section, which is probably the most doom-esque moment of the album. The cleanly sung chorus is one of the albums best, and the harmonized guitar leads and ending solo is awesome.

The album's eight tracks all offer something different, from the ballad like “Twilight Innocence” to the pummeling death metal and great drumming of “Drown the Inland Mere.” The band has naturally progressed from their doom metal roots and into more atmospheric death metal territory incredible well, in doing so they have produced a good album in the process.

Reviewed by Ben
7.8 / 10
http://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/1248

 

[Novembers Paul]

It’s always refreshing when a band can revisit influences and alter their style enough to show both intelligent evolution of their sound and competent understanding of where they came from. This is exactly what NOVEMBERS DOOM did with their most recent release, The Novella Reservoir. Both longtime fans and newcomers alike should be delightfully surprised by this release. NOVEMBERS DOOM has long been known for their prowess as a doom metal powerhouse, but the doom aspect of their songwriting takes a vacation for this release. Instead, this album features some straight up death metal with melodic interludes, some clean vocals, and only a couple of lighter tracks reminiscent of their usual style. Overall, this album is a heavy road less traveled by this talented band. The opening track “Rain” quickly establishes that this album is far different than what your typical NOVEMBERS DOOM expectations would lead you to believe. Paul Kuhr’s growling vocals establish a menacing mood that persists throughout the album, and the overall heaviness ofThe Novella Reservoir should please fans all around. The title track and “They Were Left to Die” contain a greater balance between heavy and melodic elements, while “Drown the Inland Mere,” “The Voice of Failure,” and “Dominate the Human Strain” are the heaviest tracks of them all. The softer songs, “Twilight Innocence” and “Leaving This,” provide a nice break to the heavier tracks, although they do seem somewhat out of place on this album.
Fans of recent OPETH and MY DYING BRIDE releases should find this album quite tasty on their musical palette. However, some long time fans may find this change a bit too drastic. Either way, none can deny that this is an excellent and very mature metal release, and it is worth noting that The End Records offers a version of the album accompanied by an 84-page book detailing photos from every era of the band plus the lyrics of the new album.

Reviewed by Azrael
http://www.apeshit.org/2007/03/22/novembers-doom-the-novella-reservoir/

 

[Novembers Paul]

Don't let the upbeat name fool you: Novembers Doom are a pretty dour lot. They're from Chicago, where the inclement weather has been known to bring about gloominess, depression, Al Jourgensen, and other miseries. Otherwise, this five-piece's sound has very little in common with anything else from their hometown, or even from America. It's firmly rooted in Birmingham, England, or possibly some desolate Norwegian fjord.

On album number six, the group don't stray very far from their signature crushing death-doom. What's impressive is how they continually refine and improve their musicianship and songwriting, and how said style remains unique. They borrow the wall-of-sound death-prog of Opeth, but keep it more concise. There are Paradise Lost-style haunting melodies, but far heavier. My Dying Bride gothic melancholy, but faster and grander. Take that all together, and you have a listening experience akin to getting hit by a freight train of doom. But in a good way!

The biggest change this time around is that Novembers Doom have kicked up the speed. They haven't hit Slayer velocity just yet, but opener "Rain" plows forward right out of the gate, sweeping through your speakers like a hurricane through a graveyard. The title track slows it down a little bit, and vocalist Paul Kuhr brings in the Nick Holmes-alike clean-moaned choruses to counteract his usual pummeling growl. "Drown the Inland Mere" combines the speed and clean choruses and builds on that with a shredding Gothenburg guitar riff. "Twilight Innocence" then tears it all down with a gentle acoustic lullaby. With the gloom interlude out of the way, it's right back to the doom for the rest of the record. The band takes the elements that they established in the first half, combining them and elaborating upon them, creating a cohesive whole that continually builds and evolves until the last song fades to an end.

The lyrics are, as expected, not cheerful.

The Novella Reservoir offers the best of both worlds. The death metal elements make the record listenable outside of dark and stormy nights, and the doom metal elements give it more emotional complexity than you usually find in death metal. If you're into extreme metal, you owe it to yourself to check this out. Just don't forget to bring an umbrella.

Reviewed by Jeff Treppel
http://www.transformonline.com/music/reviews/005948.php

 

[Novembers Paul]

Of all the albums that I received in my batch this time around, this one has been in my CD player the most. When I attempt to listen to something else, I end up having a song from this beautiful piece of genius get stuck back in my head. The opening track in partiular, Rain, has an immensely catchy chorus. Being, in my opinion, the heaviest track on the album, it makes for one crushing brick to the face that prepares the listener for something special. This album is truely all over the charts. This is the heaviest and fastest release that Novembers Doom have ever put out, but it hits on areas from Gothic Doom metal to an almost Neofolk feel in their lighter acoustic tracks. As a long-time fan of Novembers Doom, it really is hard to prepare yourself for the intensity on this album. The band had told the press that the album was going to be faster and more aggressive than previous releases, but actually believing this statement is another thing when you have the album sitting in front of you. This album is fantastic, but along with this genius is the companion of nostalgia. Older fans of the band won't necessarily be disappointed in this release. In fact, The Novella Reservoir is a refreshing step in Novembers Doom's evolution, but one can't help but miss the more doom-oriented tracks from earlier releases.

The great thing for me on this album is the seemingly neofolk ballad tracks, such as Twilight Innocence. Tracks like this one fit perfectly amongst the heavy tracks and help to seperate the album into section. The heavy sections are so intense that it helps to bring one down from the fist-clenching drive or else it might become too much. Twilight Innocence is a beautiful melodic track completely done in an acoustic setting. The lyrics are unique and beautifully put. The thing that makes this track so special though doesn't even lie within the track itself, its the build into the next track, The Voice of Failure. Using what sounds to be a similar technique that Metallica used for the beginning of the infamous track "Blackened", they use a light build with a powerful harmonized guitar lead to absolutely annhiliate the ears of the listener when the track rebounds from the lighter Twilight Innocence. After the intensity of the first three tracks, and the drop into a light atmosphere, this punch is harder than one could ever expect from any amount of more brutal death metal acts.

Older Novembers Doom fans will be happy to come across "They Were Left to Die", which slows down and becomes much like their older offerings, utilizing death and clean vocals as well as an immensely dark atmosphere. My absolute favorite track on this album though is the closer, Leaving this. The chorus is one of the most depressing yet crushing experiences of my life. The lyricist in the band is simply amazing. "Mourn not my loss; Honor the Memory". That is the exact phrase that I will be putting on my tombstone when I die. Even the vocal harmonies on this track give Opeth some serious competition. This is definitely one of the best metal releases of any subgenre to come out in recent memory, and once again, it was released through The End Records. This label never ceases to amaze me. Also, one last interesting fact: for all of you Dan Swano obsessors out there, this album was mixed by him. So get out, buy this album, and support immensely talented underground metal!

Reviewed by Lord Lycan
http://www.heathenharvest.com/article.php?story=20070301174921927

 

[Novembers Paul]

Album Review
In 2005, Novembers Doom made a giant aesthetic leap forward with The Pale Haunt Departure. It put their death metal roots even closer to subtle, multi-dimensional textures in a collection of songs that were not only memorable, but took the band to new levels in orchestrating vocalist Paul Kuhr's somber, often emotionally desperate lyrics. While it's true that the faithful engage in solid debate about the band's high watermark -- Pale Haunt or 2002's To Welcome the Fade -- with 2007's The Novella Reservoir it seems that ND have now laid down an unrelated trilogy of near brilliance in terms of evocative, musically and lyrically sophisticated heavy metal that seamlessly blends death metal, progressive metal, and near gothic soundscapes. There isn't an American band in the genre that comes close to what they do in terms of marrying metal's myriad songwriting forms, sonic adventurousness, and lyrical sophistication. Co-produced with Chris Djuricic, mixed by Dan Swanö, and mastered by James Murphy, the production quotient on this set is grander in scope than any ND studio set to date. The Novella Reservoir is more aggressive than its most recent predecessor without losing any of its melodic invention or textural depth. "Rain" comes crackling out of the gate with a death metal charge to open the set. The layers of guitars of Vito Marchese and Larry Roberts playing harmonics over the riff dictate Kuhr going into his lower register to keep the galloping death metal hook within his grasp. His voice is mixed way up; Kuhr's lyrics are completely clear -- although for the first 300 pre-orders of The Novella Reservoir he offered a fully illustrated complete ND lyrics book as a bonus. He growls against the fury as the guitars climb up the trellis of the void as Joel Nunez's drums walk the line of Chris Wisco's constant-throb bass and keep the tension continuous -- especially after the band explodes into the chaos after the bridge. The acoustic guitars that introduce the title cut are deceptive, because in less than 30 seconds both electric and bass riffs, swirling melody, and a plodding doom metal verse come crashing into the middle of the mix. Kuhr moves between his growled lower range and his singing voice with help from Wisco and Roberts. It's all gripping, deep and dark failure along with loss and frustration. Kuhn turns his anger both inside and out, but while he indulges his intolerance of his own failures, his acceptance of others' shortcomings is decidedly less malevolent. This is key. Kuhr is like a heavy metal Ian Curtis. He has the images and he's deeply in touch with archetypal images and the modern world's malaise. He's self-indulgent and wrapped in despair without it becoming sordid, but only insofar as stripping off every single ounce of illusion from a given situation. It's not that he's above projecting his anger outward -- check the amazing crunch and crush of "Drown the Inland Mere" for proof. This is the place where death metal and progressive metal come together seamlessly. Neither loses its appeal or its edginess as a result, and the track just soars. There are slower moments on The Novella Reservoir, such as the deeply atmospheric "Twilight Innocence," which is actually a love song with teeth, and the album closer, "Leaving This," a track with a wonderful dynamic range. But the multidimensional death metal cuts are prevalent here -- the unhinged "Dominate the Human Strain" and the mad dash that enters "The Voice of Failure" at about 50 seconds in. It's a well executed, tautly performed, and emotionally honest set from start to finish, and offers further proof that Novembers Doom are, at least in the States, in a league of their own. The Novella Reservoir, with its enormous melodic roar of a sound, comes during a renewed Yankee just-out-of-the-mainstream interest in heavy metal, and should go a long way to convince listeners -- at least those honest and open-minded enough to give it a spin -- that this is the most exciting and forward-thinking music in rock at the dawn of the new century. Highly recommended. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

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