Somnus Aeternus - On the Shores of Oblivion
This is a “dark doom death” band from the Czech Republic, this is their debut album based around sleep and death. This is not uncommon in this field of music and after a few spins of the album; there is an element of this most apt in your listening experience.
There is an abundance of keyboard led pieces of music; in fact they seem to dominate a lot of the guitar parts. Your tranquillity or patience maybe tested for this experience for me personally is frustrating, I much prefer the guitar work. Influences are claimed to include Swallow the Sun, Opeth and Arcturus. If you take the gloomiest pieces of Yorkshire’s My Dying Bride and fuse lots of piano/keyboards over the guitars, you have something similar, although the guitar tone is not as distorted, a little dirge-like but clean in places by comparison, this is what hits the mark more. Vocally, “Insomnic” has a low tone, very death doom and actually makes a valiant effort throughout this album.
A track like ‘The Divine Void’ stands out the most as it has light and shade, a momentary change of tempo and feeling that finally gives the guitars an opportunity to break from the darkness and enlighten the mood with some audible musical delights, but it really does change the miserable flavour of the release. The songs are very similar, very monotone and actually rather dull in places. If this is your thing them I am sure you will rejoice in this misery as I certainly struggle to stay awake during the release, my only gripe would be the overt use of keyboards that tend to dominate the mix somewhat when they are in use, maybe I am being too generous, but I simply cannot knock the effort and atmosphere that Somnus Aeternus produce no matter how gloomy it makes you feel, ‘On the Shores of Oblivion’ is certainly true to itself.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/embed/A_xNXqMzKro[/embed]
There is an abundance of keyboard led pieces of music; in fact they seem to dominate a lot of the guitar parts. Your tranquillity or patience maybe tested for this experience for me personally is frustrating, I much prefer the guitar work. Influences are claimed to include Swallow the Sun, Opeth and Arcturus. If you take the gloomiest pieces of Yorkshire’s My Dying Bride and fuse lots of piano/keyboards over the guitars, you have something similar, although the guitar tone is not as distorted, a little dirge-like but clean in places by comparison, this is what hits the mark more. Vocally, “Insomnic” has a low tone, very death doom and actually makes a valiant effort throughout this album.
A track like ‘The Divine Void’ stands out the most as it has light and shade, a momentary change of tempo and feeling that finally gives the guitars an opportunity to break from the darkness and enlighten the mood with some audible musical delights, but it really does change the miserable flavour of the release. The songs are very similar, very monotone and actually rather dull in places. If this is your thing them I am sure you will rejoice in this misery as I certainly struggle to stay awake during the release, my only gripe would be the overt use of keyboards that tend to dominate the mix somewhat when they are in use, maybe I am being too generous, but I simply cannot knock the effort and atmosphere that Somnus Aeternus produce no matter how gloomy it makes you feel, ‘On the Shores of Oblivion’ is certainly true to itself.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/embed/A_xNXqMzKro[/embed]
1. Withering Attachment
2. Decrepitus
3. Few More Pictures Till Death
4. Of The Bond
5. The Light At The End Of The Suffering
6. A Touch Of Insanity
7. Purgatorium
8. The Divine Void
9. Everything Else Is A Lie
10. Sinthesis
2. Decrepitus
3. Few More Pictures Till Death
4. Of The Bond
5. The Light At The End Of The Suffering
6. A Touch Of Insanity
7. Purgatorium
8. The Divine Void
9. Everything Else Is A Lie
10. Sinthesis
Label: http://solitude-prod.com
Reviewer: twansibon
Mar 25, 2013
Mar 25, 2013
Next review:
Orphalis - Human Individual Metamorphosis
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