Tampa Bay doom merchants Servants Of The Mist have quite a following on the underground heavy music scene. What this says about the band is that they have some pretty strong willed fans out there as their music is certainly not easy going. Even for a genre which is known for brutality and severity, the funeral doom of Servants Of The Mist reaches new lows of perversion in its exploration of their favourite themes. These are themes of sexual fantasy and deviancy along with the darker aspects of life. You get the picture? These are not for daytime consumption.
By totally bleaching out any aspect of blues from their sound, the riffs are cold and brittle as they seep insidiously into your ears. The vocals are harsh, almost black metal screams of desperation and there is an almost industrial feel to it all. Just like if Cronenberg had stayed in the underground and made a movie with David Lynch then decided to throw it to the torture-mongers to edit, you won't find much in the way of fun.
It's almost offensive in a way and you have to have a strong mind to stick with it. Whereas gruesome song titles are the norm in death metal, there was always a sort of comic violence to them. Here they are just sadistic and there is no hint at all of any lightness. Servants Of The Mist have delved deep into the dark consciousness and stirred up a nest of maggots.
Whether it's any good or not depends on if you like this sort of stuff. There is certainly talent here, but you may also find yourself hard pushed to get through the four tracks on offer in one sitting. You may even feel sick at times at the pure evilness of it all, but then you may also take some sick pleasure in it. This reviewer found it ultimately impossible and sickening although there are some good parts, you may enjoy it. Make your own mind up.
