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Band: Collapse Of Light
Album title: Each Failing Step
Release date: 29 April 2014
Label: Rain Without End Records
Tracklist:
01. A Place To Die
02. I Will Not Return
03. The Remains Of The Day
04. Leaving The Light Behind
It's spring, the nature is waking up from the winter sleep, everything is becoming green and sunrays are stronger every day more, but there's always present a trace of darkness and sadness in most of the souls who embrace dark music. Collapse Of Light comes offering their debut album to our desperate souls in just a perfect time to make some balance between the outside light and inner darkness. They are here to push us on a path full of sorrow and darkness, on a sonic journey full of melancholy and loneliness, where in the end only nothingness awaits in this constant loss called life.
What else than gloomy doom metal can be the most appropriate style to offer such emotions, considering also that this international band consists of some veterans that were already bringing sweet despair and darkness in bands like Shape Of Despair, Depressed Mode, Lethian Dreams and Before The Rain to name just some, we are now pretty much aware of what we can expect. Four tracks in total with a playing time of a bit more 40 minutes certainly will turn many typical metalheads away from this, but those who feed their souls with the despair of the gloomiest, highly emotional and most depressive kind of music will for sure embrace it with all their being.
Collapse Of Light who deliver slow, unrelenting melancholic and melodic doom are flowing in the same teritories like the bands from where the members arrive, but have also a lot in common with acts such as Clouds, Swallow The Sun, Saturnus and My Dying Bride for example. But even though that the influences are quite evident, Collapse Of Light brings something extraordinary, so very dramatic, almost cinematic sort of dark doom metal. It's highly atmospheric and with many mood changes that goes from something at the very border of funeral doom to acoustic sectors, gothic/doom emotional segments, ambiental parts and yet much more. The sound is often very dense, filled with emotions served by male/female duets and soul consuming melodies.
Already the first epic track, "A Place To Die", gives us everything that we could hope to hear from this kind of musicians. Great acoustic introduction with mournful cello insertions nicely progresses into crushing yet melodic doom that is taken over by a fantastic vocal duet between Natalie Koskinen' (Shape Of Despair, Depressed Mode) sorrowful, emotive and yet tenderly dark voice and Carlos D’Agua (ex-Lethian Dreams, ex-Before the Rain) deep deathly growls, that brings kind of a cathartic experience. Nice captivating slowly evolving melodic chord progressions are backened by strong pounding rhythmic lines and great gloomy keys and carefully implemented classical music insertions that deepen the already very dark atmosphere. The spoken vocals in the last part of the song are only making it even more dramatic and attractive.
Collapse Of Light keep the pace slow, very slow but with intriguing pathos. The next two tracks are a bit shorter. "I Will Not Return" is a strong melodic doom/death metal piece with an outstanding mournful ambiance, while the next one, "The Remains Of The Day", is a stunning a bit more sunlit acoustic piece with a gentle minimalistic celtic/folk vibe. In here sensual Natalie's singing gives to the listener much needed break before we are served with 14 minutes long sadness and utter melancholy of "Leaving The Light Behind". What an adventure this one is, the union of doom and apocalyptic sweetness of tormenting cathartic ambiances that will for sure leave a mark inside the listeners soul. There's so much going on, fantastic mood changes give diversity and necessary dynamics, and believe me that in the end you'll want it more and more of this extraordinary doom metal melancholy.
Collapse Of Light did a fantastic album with many truly fantastic moments for lovers of the most melancholic sound. The whole experience is pretty nihilistic and deeply depressive, yet through these dense stormy clouds some feeble sunrays can come through. It's a highly evocative, adventurous and deep sonic journey that can offer otherwoldly emotions and somehow in a strange way these slowly evolving melodies and vocal performances give hope to the wounded ones. Each Failing Step is a persuasive piece of doom and gloom that will for sure leave a scar inside those who'll enter this realm of sonic darkness. Open up your heart to the void and you'll experience the whole splendour of senseless eternity.
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 8,5/10
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