-

Sermon

“Till Birth Do Us Part” (Bitume, 2023)

 

Sermon is a Turkish Death Doom band formed back in 1997. Highly influence by the Death Doom scene of the time, the band’s sound was not affected by the changing of time, nor the waves that followed the British Wave of Doom Metal and “disfigured” the genre. Harsh words, right? They might be, however… this vein of the genre is a very specific, and particular one. When we think of Doom, we think of Black Sabbath, and those that do not, are unaware of what the genre is about. Obviously, the genre grew and spawned a multitude of sub-genres and similar melodic existences. I mentioned the British, and their influence must be accounted for, of course, as they are, in my opinion, the milestone for the Death Doom genre. Bands like Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Anathema, very well-known for their work, are still seen as that milestone triad, and their influence is seen to this day. Check out Athanasy, from Portugal, and be delighted by “Pentecost” era Anathema.

Sermon, the Turkish Death Doom entity that carries the flame of ancient Doom, offers us an excellent rendition of what the genre was, and what many of us wish it was still. Slow, melodic, beautiful, delicate… Paradise Lost and Anathema are very much present in these 8 lengthy tracks but tracks that never sound repetitive or uninspired. There is this atmosphere that at times reminds me of Greek titans, Septic Flesh… Sermon’s sound has this aroma that we associate with a country like Turkey, and at times, Greece.

Each song is a journey, every vocal performance a story being told, the slow-paced guitar, the pacing drums, the delicate synthesizers and keyboards, old-school musicians that wish to capture all these elements and keep them alive. Each song is a delicate page of a fantasy story, filled with moments of horror and light. Doom is not an easy genre; its tempo, its melodies, and atmospheres… the slowness of it all, sometimes it pushes people away. Thankfully, the sounds of the 90ies are different, dynamic, and more varied than most of today’s Doom Metal. Now imagine this formula today, and this is the result. Sermon has captured the essence of Old-School Death Doom Metal, and they have done it exceptionally.

Bitumeprods Official Bandcamp

Sermon Metal-archives Band Page

Comentários

Enviar um comentário

Mensagens populares deste blogue

-
Imagem
  Psychonaut 4 “… Of Mourning” (Immortal Frost Productions, 2024) Psychonaut 4 have been spreading their specific human condition for several years now, 14 to be more precise, and only now have I contacted their sound! The name was well-known, but the music was not. I have never been a fan of the more depressive side of the genre, and these lads live inside that sphere; thing is, their sound has small details that sound differently. There is a different dynamic in all their sound, an almost progressive and psychedelic approach. No, not a Floydian one, ok? They have guitar solos that sound quite cheerful. Wait… are they not on the depressive side of the globe? Maybe they are… The more you listen to this record, the more you are able to hear the different moments the band has crafted. Several emotions and stages of existence. Funny how their sound has these 2 opponent personas: sadness and joyfulness. Well, I can hear and feel moments of clarity and clear skies. But sadness does ...
Ler mais
-
Imagem
Beyond Helvete - “Anthem of Decay” (Immortal Frost Productions, 2022). Immortal Frost Productions has given us 2 tremendous Black Metal works this year: Corpus Christii and Pyra. Both different, but both within the realm of Black Metal (and Death Metal). This work, by Beyond Helvete, is the 3 rd IFP work I have access to, and we again drop into the universe of Black Metal. Slightly different from the already mentioned ones, but still ferocious and full of power. Beyond Helvete has been around since 2007, and Natrgaard, the man behind it, has been delivering the goods. Imagine the strength of a band like Marduk, that endurance, that consistent show of power… Beyond Helvete lives in a similar bubble, although not reaching the quality the Swedes have gathered throughout these many years of presence in the Black Metal Global scene. Nonetheless, it sounds as a good example to describe one of the facets of the German musician without limiting it to A or B. The track that names the alb...
Ler mais
-
Imagem
  Kratti “Matka Kohti Kosmista” (Signal Rex, 2024) “Kratti are the ascending newcomers of the bleak fields of Finnish Black Metal!” That is one bold statement, right? You need to be good at something before you go out and say that. Well… let’s find out. Kratti is a 3 man Finnish straight to the throat Black Metal act. They do have a point when they state they are the “…ascending newcomers…”, for their sound is stone cold ripping Black Metal. It is Finnish, and you can almost feel it in your bones. The melodies merged with that Finnish violence – that is not violence, but a harsher approach – that we all love. Come on! It is hard not to enjoy what the Finns have been doing for decades, their mastered sound, their own vision of Black Metal… Kratti goes down that path, successfully, and oh man! I was never into complex music, maybe due to my Hardcore Punk background, so when a band goes straight to the point, I am in for the ride. To say that these lads are doing something tha...
Ler mais