Lovecraftian suggestions make way for greater altitudes and depths
Doom metal is a genre highly dependent on a certain setting and mindset to reach critical mass in terms of effectfulness of the musical enjoyment. Whether invoking a gust of sepulchral angst, summoning drugged out washes of psychedelia or churning out some gut-wrenching heaviness, the greatest practitioners of doom metal usually are masters of atmosphere. American blackened doom metal band Nyarlathotep, name after the Crawling Chaos deity invented by famed weird fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft, bring to life visions of dusty, desolate and dystopic wastes thich with the scent of impending doom and the ever-nearing apocalypse.
The shrill, atmospheric drones and frozen, jagged touches of black metal goes great with the warmer, deep-felt strums of doom metal. Many bands have succeeded in creating a superior mix of the two, interweaving seamlessly into a mighty monolithic composition, even through simplistic soundscapes with limited instrumentation or interaction. As such, nitpicking on the American trio for tending toward uneventful arrangements isn't quite fair. Lesser bands fail to avoid the pitfall where they more or less sleepwalk through songs, and Nyarlathotep can - if you're not attentive - seem like such a band. But where others fail, this trio prevails in the way that their minimalistic songwriting in most cases builds up to and draws focus to the few times that sonic events do occur.
The shrill, atmospheric drones and frozen, jagged touches of black metal goes great with the warmer, deep-felt strums of doom metal. Many bands have succeeded in creating a superior mix of the two, interweaving seamlessly into a mighty monolithic composition, even through simplistic soundscapes with limited instrumentation or interaction. As such, nitpicking on the American trio for tending toward uneventful arrangements isn't quite fair. Lesser bands fail to avoid the pitfall where they more or less sleepwalk through songs, and Nyarlathotep can - if you're not attentive - seem like such a band. But where others fail, this trio prevails in the way that their minimalistic songwriting in most cases builds up to and draws focus to the few times that sonic events do occur.
"The End is Always Near aptly translates Lovecraft's existential claustrophobia into musical form..."
Nyarlathotep's music relies heavily on the cavernously dreading atmosphere conveyed by their gritty, fuzz-driven cacophonies that make up the bulk of the EP. The End is Always Near aptly translates Lovecraft's existential claustrophobia into musical form with compositions that are both fascinating and enthralling in their droning instrumentation and void-like vocals.
As insinuated earlier Nyarlathotep's debut EP is a grower, and not a shower. But the sublime slices of dementia that make up The End is Always Near grows on you to such an extent that you can't help but get sucked in by the reality-distorting madness.
As insinuated earlier Nyarlathotep's debut EP is a grower, and not a shower. But the sublime slices of dementia that make up The End is Always Near grows on you to such an extent that you can't help but get sucked in by the reality-distorting madness.
7/10
Released in 2008 independently
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