http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=222765
Excellent Doom - 90% [SIZE=-1]Written by Waspman on June 23rd, 2009[/SIZE]
Bradford Englands The Prophecy have been kicking around since 2001. With album titles like ASHES, and REVELATIONS, and tours with the likes of My Dying Bride under their belt, there is no doubt as to what type of metal they play: doom! Sadly I have not heard the aforementioned previous albums, but from reading reviews and fan comments it is clear that they are highly regarded in doom circles. With this in mind, lets see what INTO THE LIGHT has to offer.
Kicking in immediately with powerful riffs and growled vocals, the title track wastes no time making an impression. The expected melancholic feeling of doom metal is instantly noticeable, as the band weaves a roiling tapestry of sound from crushing guitar, achingly slow, pounding rhythms, and the howling vocals. After slowing down to near silent introspection, the tempo builds, vocalist Matt Lawson adds in clean vocals (the growls and clean singing are split about 40/60 throughout the album), and the song crests like one of the waves on the album cover.
The rest of the album follows this template and the band is relentless with their style of crushing doom. The only points of light are the occasional guitar melodies and Lawsons oddly endearing clean vocals, which admittedly are not that strong and thus, an acquired taste. Opeth fans take note: his growls are a dead-ringer for Mikael Akerfeldt.
As youd expect with doom metal, the songs are lengthy for the most part. While some bands struggle to make their long songs consistently engaging, The Prophecy have no such problems. In fact, their two longest songs, Echoes and Waters Deep are probably the two best on the album. Both are near-perfect examples of the emotional power present in the best mournful doom metal songs.
As I mentioned above, The Prophecy are well-liked amongst doom fans, and after hearing this album it is obvious they deserve it. I strongly encourage doom fans to check out INTO THE LIGHT this will be one of the best doom albums youll hear in 2009.
Excellent Doom - 90% [SIZE=-1]Written by Waspman on June 23rd, 2009[/SIZE]
Bradford Englands The Prophecy have been kicking around since 2001. With album titles like ASHES, and REVELATIONS, and tours with the likes of My Dying Bride under their belt, there is no doubt as to what type of metal they play: doom! Sadly I have not heard the aforementioned previous albums, but from reading reviews and fan comments it is clear that they are highly regarded in doom circles. With this in mind, lets see what INTO THE LIGHT has to offer.
Kicking in immediately with powerful riffs and growled vocals, the title track wastes no time making an impression. The expected melancholic feeling of doom metal is instantly noticeable, as the band weaves a roiling tapestry of sound from crushing guitar, achingly slow, pounding rhythms, and the howling vocals. After slowing down to near silent introspection, the tempo builds, vocalist Matt Lawson adds in clean vocals (the growls and clean singing are split about 40/60 throughout the album), and the song crests like one of the waves on the album cover.
The rest of the album follows this template and the band is relentless with their style of crushing doom. The only points of light are the occasional guitar melodies and Lawsons oddly endearing clean vocals, which admittedly are not that strong and thus, an acquired taste. Opeth fans take note: his growls are a dead-ringer for Mikael Akerfeldt.
As youd expect with doom metal, the songs are lengthy for the most part. While some bands struggle to make their long songs consistently engaging, The Prophecy have no such problems. In fact, their two longest songs, Echoes and Waters Deep are probably the two best on the album. Both are near-perfect examples of the emotional power present in the best mournful doom metal songs.
As I mentioned above, The Prophecy are well-liked amongst doom fans, and after hearing this album it is obvious they deserve it. I strongly encourage doom fans to check out INTO THE LIGHT this will be one of the best doom albums youll hear in 2009.