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Released on November 8, 2014 via Xtreem Music
In this doom sodden landscape where every band is trying to outdo each other with their grinding riffs and search for the ultimate in heaviness it’s almost refreshing to hear Swedish band Nangilima doing things their own way.
More in thrall to the classics of the genre such as My Dying Bride, their version of doom has a much more melodic slant and whilst it doesn’t shy away from the heaviness, it is accessible in ways many doom albums aren’t. Amongst all the funeral style riffs are blasts of orchestral magic which hold sway and help to turn this album into something different from what is the norm these days.
Whilst this melodic approach may have its faults, and may not in the short term appeal to newer fans of the genre, we must not let that get in the way of what is actually rather a good album. It’s not one that is going to be knocking on the door of the greatest doom albums of all time yet, but it is one that shows Nangilima are a band in it for the long haul and there is nothing wrong with that.
There is nothing wrong with this album, The Dark Matter, either. After the brief (for their standards) introduction of ‘Chemin Vers le Neant’, the grinding riff of ‘Stain Of A Broken Life’ hits you like a sledgehammer out of nowhere. The death metal vocals sink the song further into the depressive morass, but then amongst all this the strings start to swirl giving it an other-wordly feel.
It’s music that Poe would be proud of and as the excellent ‘Crimson Shroud’ starts its endless crawl you can’t help but admire this band. The atmospherics are second to none and serve accentuate the album further. Doom bands may be afraid to go down this route and it is a difficult one to get right but Nangilima manage to do it just right.
‘The Link Of Reminiscence’ contains an interesting sample which shows a band unafraid to push the boundaries before the title track arrives in all its bloody glory and time changing tempos to bring in some sort of majestic feel to the occasion. It is big music and built for big sound but it also feels intimate in that the themes are of a more human nature. The breakdown into a piano led end bit shows how doom and classical music can work so well together and you really do have to take your hat off to the band.
The thing about melody in heavy music is that it serves to take you to another world. The atmospheres conjured up are almost cinematic in a way and one thinks of Holtz’ The Planets as something of a touchstone for this type of dramatic music. Of course, sometimes it all goes awry and sounds a bit contrived but Nangilima seem to know when to steady the more bombastic notions. Any further and we are in Type O Negative territory where the gothic tendencies outshine what is in essence a brilliant song.
It will be interesting to see where Nangilima go next. With Sans Soleil’s album already upping the ante on this sort of music, Nangilima have a lot to live up to. The Dark Matter goes some way to aiding their quest and for the time being we can enjoy an album which is slightly different from the other doom releases out there. The more ardent fan who wants simply grind may be disappointed but given chance Nangilima may just shone through.
