Celestiial - Where Life Springs Eternal
Where Life Springs Eternal is a Quasimodo of a doom metal album. Upon first listen from the opening track, "Spell Over Still Water," the music sounds more drone doom than funeral doom. The guitars sound horribly distorted and static driven that is very unpleasant to the ear. It doesn't have the crush that funeral doom generally gives off, and the atmosphere is destroyed for the most part. There is a bit of natural ambiance near the end of the song with the sounds of a waterfall, but after the horror just heard the listener is still trying to get the ringing out of their head. Not the best start. However, once the second track, "Great Storms Carry My Sadness," begins, the listener will begin to recognize that Celestiial is actually performing funeral doom with this album. Gone is the annoyance and in comes the depressing. There are vocals, but they just wail and hiss; don't expect to decipher any lyrics from them. The nature ambiance is there, but it's dark and shrouded by all the other noise that is going on. Fortunately, after the first track, ANY noise would probably be appreciated. Perhaps this can be considered Celestiial's way of grabbing the listener by presenting a musical score so foul and annoying that everything else after it just sounds amazing.
And then there's a break in the storm. "From Elm Blossoms to a Rose" opens with a running stream sample before delving to a soft, acoustic guitar/ keyboard melody that sounds like it came from a medieval castle. Very simple, very beautiful, and good breather track. It isn't really what one could call funeral doom metal, but instead atmospheric ambiance. Just try to keep your bladder calm while the stream is running. Fortunately, the stream doesn't keep up long before the familiar funeral doom hymns picks up and the hissing and wailing guitars with whispering vocals kick back in on the track "Offerings in Cedar Smoke." Like the second track, it's got that epic, distorted feeling that seems to go on forever. You could listen to the first few seconds of the song and you've got the next few minutes laid out right before you.
The music isn't crushing, but it's gloomy enough to make anyone depressed while trying to enjoy the ambiance in the background. It's almost a shame that the beauty of the earlier track has to be let go, but don't worry, you'll hear it one more time before the album's over. The closing track is an excellent ambient piece, focusing on the use of a piano and acoustic guitar in a very simplistic fashion, much like the "Elm Blossoms" track. It's very short, sadly too short, but demonstrates how good the band could have been had it not been for the other mundane numbers. If perhaps these little interludes could have been interspersed throughout the longer tracks to create a strongly progressive funeral doom metal album, then Where Life Springs Eternal might have been a doom metal masterpiece. Instead, the album is just another one that crushes and distorts, crushes and distorts. Whatever atmospheric beauty was on it is smothered along with everything else. That being said, fans of Nortt, Somnolent, Striborg, and Odio Vestri will find this appealing.
Originally posted for The Metal Forge.
And then there's a break in the storm. "From Elm Blossoms to a Rose" opens with a running stream sample before delving to a soft, acoustic guitar/ keyboard melody that sounds like it came from a medieval castle. Very simple, very beautiful, and good breather track. It isn't really what one could call funeral doom metal, but instead atmospheric ambiance. Just try to keep your bladder calm while the stream is running. Fortunately, the stream doesn't keep up long before the familiar funeral doom hymns picks up and the hissing and wailing guitars with whispering vocals kick back in on the track "Offerings in Cedar Smoke." Like the second track, it's got that epic, distorted feeling that seems to go on forever. You could listen to the first few seconds of the song and you've got the next few minutes laid out right before you.
The music isn't crushing, but it's gloomy enough to make anyone depressed while trying to enjoy the ambiance in the background. It's almost a shame that the beauty of the earlier track has to be let go, but don't worry, you'll hear it one more time before the album's over. The closing track is an excellent ambient piece, focusing on the use of a piano and acoustic guitar in a very simplistic fashion, much like the "Elm Blossoms" track. It's very short, sadly too short, but demonstrates how good the band could have been had it not been for the other mundane numbers. If perhaps these little interludes could have been interspersed throughout the longer tracks to create a strongly progressive funeral doom metal album, then Where Life Springs Eternal might have been a doom metal masterpiece. Instead, the album is just another one that crushes and distorts, crushes and distorts. Whatever atmospheric beauty was on it is smothered along with everything else. That being said, fans of Nortt, Somnolent, Striborg, and Odio Vestri will find this appealing.
Originally posted for The Metal Forge.
- Spell Over Still Water
- Great Storms Carry My Sadness
- From Elm Blossoms A Rose
- Offering In Cedar Smoke
- Songbirds Depart Through The Passing Near The Garden
Bindrune Recordings
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
May 21, 2010
May 21, 2010
Next review:
Garden Of Worm - Garden Of Worm
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