Title: Scars Across
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Release Date: 30 March 2018
Country: Finland
Format Reviewed: Digital CD quality
We are ready to walk again, wobbly, towards the horizon, with fear crossing our backs and our eyes somewhat fearful, stuck in another mastodontic beast coming from my admired Finland. The earth of metal. From the thickets of these plains comes Convocation, a project of two musicians LL (Lauri Laaksonen) and MN (Marko Neuman), coming from bands like Desolate Shrine and Dark Buddha Rising, among others, to create one of the most impressive albums of Death/Doom so far this year.
These data are not minor to try to describe the sound of this behemoth. Those who know Desolate Shrine will know about the doom and highly atmospheric characteristics that go through their work. Convocation also stands out for crossing landscapes of unparalleled density with an eye always placed in a vortex of experimentation that, far from being diluted in the concatenation of dark matter of its riffs, gives a remarkable aura of etericity to the compositions. Something unique in the universe of Death/Doom.
This alchemy of epic proportions takes us on a journey for just over 50 minutes, divided into four tracks of very slow combustion, full of nuances and a death drive, sometimes close to the cosmogonic Funeral Doom of bands like Esoteric or Evoken. Although talking about comparisons is a somewhat futile exercise in the world of Convocation. This is a beast that breathes its own oxygen and walks with the certainty of knowing itself above the food chain.
The guitars, extremely leaden, are dispatched expertly. The vocals are predominantly deep growls, but what most stands out in Convocation is the use of synthesizers and organs, which overfly the work creating terribly climate-like textures, which grant a dramatic quality that works perfectly with the intentions of the band.
"Scars Across" is an album that begins to show all the heaviest and stylistically closest to the most caustic and monstrous Death Doom, although it is developing a new facet, as it progresses, reaching a level of unique disturbing atmosphere. Convocation gives us a new vision about the world of doom with Death elements, and without doubt, this is an album that we will find in many lists of best albums at the end of the year, included in mine. An incredible album, highly recommended for lovers of slower and heavier music. 10/10 Sergio
Band
Label
Site
Bandcamp
YouTube
10/10 Immortal classic
**Please support the underground! It’s vital to the future of our genre
