Oktor - Another Dimension Of Pain
Another…. Dimension…. Of…. Pain. This is what we’re given here all the way from Poland by none other than Oktor. This is their first full length and also their first release in ten years. Oktor started out in 2003 and put their first release out which was an EP. Now this full length has been released on Solitude Productions. This label is full of great bands. Mainly focusing on the doom side of things but some artists definitely have a black metal slant.
The first track is called “Another” and every other track following spells out the album title. I found this to be quite clever and awesome. They also made each word of the title more of an interlude track rather than a full song. All the interlude tracks are a nice little break with some sullen classical music. “Conscious Somatoform Paradise“, is the first track and rightfully so. The spoken word section of this song captures the funeral doom sound so well. This track feels truly dismal and hopeless. The melodies they use and clean sections are simply gorgeous. The vocals and lead melodies on this album make this band stand apart from the rest of the funeral doom bands. This track and all the tracks have smooth and flawless transitions in and out of clean parts. One of the hardest aspects of writing music is creating seamless transitions and Oktor does that here on “Another Dimension of Pain”. His vocals just sound so haggard when he does the more spoken word style… his pain is quite believable. I get a strong sense that this band is influenced by My Dying Bride and I would also think Funeral. The drummer switches up his beat throughout the tracks so not to be so mundane and continue to hit the same cymbals in the exact same way on each track. The next track on the album is “Mental Paralysis”. This song is heavier and grittier than the first track which is more sullen and dreary like a rainy day. The low vocal tones blend nicely with the growl of the guitars making for some very powerful vocals. Anytime I hear a song over twelve minutes long that I don’t get tired of half way through… I immediately think of Opeth. A lot of times bands will have long songs that just drone on and on but occasionally you’ll get a few bands that have some amazing song writing abilities to give you countless twists and turns throughout only one track. Oktor is good at spacing the instruments out and not overloading the section with to much expression at once. The flow of the lead melody and vocals never step on each others toes but instead blend very well and overlap in the most perfect of ways. They use different guitar and vocal tones throughout each song. The guitar tone is also not the atypical crushing doom sound. The guitar tone on “Another Dimension of Pain”, has its own unique feel to it. Although it is quite heavy and raw it still has it’s own uniqueness with the EQ settings they have selected. I’m curious to know what type of guitar rig set ups they have. I know I just went off on a tangent but the ending to “Mental Paralysis”, is overwhelmingly heartfelt and should be listened to possibly at the end of your day once you get home from all the turmoil of your every day life. It’s so great when bands can capture the genuine aspects of humanity without the glimmer and shine that modern media has given it.
This is a very refreshing Funeral Doom album and I can see why it took Oktor so long to write it. These days the metal scene is overwhelmed with bands, especially doom and black metal groups. It’s hard to find forward thinking music in the mix. Although sometimes you come across hidden gems like this one. Then your interest in the genre is rekindled. Quality over quantity reigns supreme.
The first track is called “Another” and every other track following spells out the album title. I found this to be quite clever and awesome. They also made each word of the title more of an interlude track rather than a full song. All the interlude tracks are a nice little break with some sullen classical music. “Conscious Somatoform Paradise“, is the first track and rightfully so. The spoken word section of this song captures the funeral doom sound so well. This track feels truly dismal and hopeless. The melodies they use and clean sections are simply gorgeous. The vocals and lead melodies on this album make this band stand apart from the rest of the funeral doom bands. This track and all the tracks have smooth and flawless transitions in and out of clean parts. One of the hardest aspects of writing music is creating seamless transitions and Oktor does that here on “Another Dimension of Pain”. His vocals just sound so haggard when he does the more spoken word style… his pain is quite believable. I get a strong sense that this band is influenced by My Dying Bride and I would also think Funeral. The drummer switches up his beat throughout the tracks so not to be so mundane and continue to hit the same cymbals in the exact same way on each track. The next track on the album is “Mental Paralysis”. This song is heavier and grittier than the first track which is more sullen and dreary like a rainy day. The low vocal tones blend nicely with the growl of the guitars making for some very powerful vocals. Anytime I hear a song over twelve minutes long that I don’t get tired of half way through… I immediately think of Opeth. A lot of times bands will have long songs that just drone on and on but occasionally you’ll get a few bands that have some amazing song writing abilities to give you countless twists and turns throughout only one track. Oktor is good at spacing the instruments out and not overloading the section with to much expression at once. The flow of the lead melody and vocals never step on each others toes but instead blend very well and overlap in the most perfect of ways. They use different guitar and vocal tones throughout each song. The guitar tone is also not the atypical crushing doom sound. The guitar tone on “Another Dimension of Pain”, has its own unique feel to it. Although it is quite heavy and raw it still has it’s own uniqueness with the EQ settings they have selected. I’m curious to know what type of guitar rig set ups they have. I know I just went off on a tangent but the ending to “Mental Paralysis”, is overwhelmingly heartfelt and should be listened to possibly at the end of your day once you get home from all the turmoil of your every day life. It’s so great when bands can capture the genuine aspects of humanity without the glimmer and shine that modern media has given it.
This is a very refreshing Funeral Doom album and I can see why it took Oktor so long to write it. These days the metal scene is overwhelmed with bands, especially doom and black metal groups. It’s hard to find forward thinking music in the mix. Although sometimes you come across hidden gems like this one. Then your interest in the genre is rekindled. Quality over quantity reigns supreme.
- Another
- Conscious Somatoform Paradise
- Dimension
- Mental Paralysis
- Of
- Pain
- Undone
Label: http://solitude-prod.com
Reviewer: Hollow Lung
May 7, 2015
May 7, 2015
Next review:
Sathanas - Worship The Devil
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