#Asphodelus Sculpting from Time
3 min read
Band: Asphodelus
Title: Sculpting from Time
Label: Hammerheart Records
Release date: 25 August 2023
Country: Finland
Format reviewed: High-quality Digital Recording
Do you remember at the beginning of the 90s’ when one style was named Death Doom Metal and at the same time Doom Death Metal? Of course, that means the main style that was used.
Bands such as Tiamat (1989), My Dying Bride, Katatonia, Anathema, Paradise Lost (1988), Celestial Season, The Gathering (1989) (Yes they were a Death Doom band in the past), Officium Triste, Mourning Beloveth, Saturnus, Novembers Doom, and the list can continue, a lot of bands to mention…
If you remember all those bands, you already know what to expect from Asphodelus…
Finland is not only Black Metal or Folk Metal, Symphonic Metal, Gothic Metal, or Melodic Death/Power Metal bands… I’m just saying styles in order not to mention well-known bands and people think, that those styles are the “only” styles there… No, Finland has a history in European Death Doom Metal, Funeral or Death Metal. In fact, and this is my opinion, one of the best ones of the 90s, but unfortunately, was hard to get some demos of albums from there and the bands were not included in the BOOM of those times, and that was a big loss… I had the luck to know several, but the money to buy that time… Ahahahahahahahah
Anyway, and moving forward…
Nowadays, is way different, the internet, the number of bands that exist, etc etc.
Returning now to the band Asphodelus, if the band was born in that time (90s’) and not in Finland, could be very well, one of those amazing bands playing Death Doom Metal. I’m not pointing the finger at anyone or anything, just giving my sincere opinion, from what I remember, and saw.
At the same time, thankfully the band was born in 2016, if you don’t know, from the ashes of Cemetery Fog (a very good band) and they have been releasing very good Death Doom Metal. The quality has been growing from release to release, never saying that the previous work is bad, or acceptable, or an “ok” album. What I mean, is the construction of the songs, the riffs used, the tempo changes, the lyrics, the production, etc. The previous ones were good in my opinion but this album, is way better and if in the previous releases the influences were present, well, in this album they are even more.
In my opinion, the influences of Katatonia, Anathema, and My Dying Bride are very present but, I think they are drinking much more from Tiamat, era “Clouds”. It reminds me a lot, of plenty of riffs, the atmosphere, the way of singing, even if not so strong and the voice in Asphodelus is more “dry”.
These guys made a very good album and it’s a very damn good “tribute” to the 90s’ Death Doom Metal / Doom Death Metal.
The album is divided into 8 songs, some more Doom, some more Death Doom, the balance is very well achieved, a simple and natural way mix, not sounding “forced” or something “imposed”.
The memories while listening to this album were very good, the music manage to transport to there, very easily, and the reason is just one, it’s good. The repeat button on my stereo (I have my desktop connected) was “on” and to be honest, I didn’t get tired of listening to this album, I know (100% that will be a recent Death Doom Metal album, that I play many times), and will stay in the same place of the 90s’ classics (I already made the pre-order). So do it the same if you want of course and enjoy a 90s’ “classic” made in 2023. 9/10 The Key Keeper 666
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9/10 Epic Storm
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