(((O))) Review: Angmodnes – Rot Of The Soul

An album with the mood to match the dreary weather so persistent at this time of the year, Rot Of The Soul sees Dutch gloomsters Angmodnes explore the beauty of the melancholy spirit on their second offering. Whilst the debut may have been shaped over nearly a decade, this latest dive into the depths of despair has taken barely a year to construct, yet the richness suffusing the intrinsically layered outpouring of doom metal shown here would suggest the time invested in each be the other way around.

Often claustrophobic, touched with paranoia and rage to add depth to the crushing weight of the sadness, this is by no means an “easy” listen. Funereal in its pace, the five long tracks crawl along upon the back of monolithic riffs, a drawn out miasma of misery that feeds on all that negative energy to create an hour of pure catharsis. Rot Of The Soul has the air of someone bearing witness to every element of their trauma, a process so visceral that is it almost impossible to turn away from.

The bleakness is not universal, however, with moments of euphoria piercing through the veil. The ending section of ‘Stagnant’ is perhaps the most delirious, the flash of a brighter light (if only by comparison) serves to illuminate just how monumentally morose Rot Of The Soul can get. Sparse piano sections scattered throughout also shift the tone of the darkness, ensuring that despite the limited range of hues, the picture never sinks into a level of monotony as to become dull.

Listen closely, and those myriad shades of grey that can be found in the overcast skies also colour the palette here, gorgeous moments that both highlight the horror, and make it all worthwhile. Of course this will be too depressing for many, but for those that love to wallow in these fetid pools, Angmodnes have crafted something rather special with Rot Of The Soul. This is a record that ties all the quintessential elements together, without it ever sounding hackneyed or derivative – a very tough trick to execute, but one they have managed expertly.