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Released on November 12, 2014 via Dark Descent Records
The resurgent music scene continues apace in Sweden with yet another band coming to our attention here at Ech(((o)))es and Dust. This time the music comes from doom band Anguish and that very word is what you might actually feel for the majority of this album, Mountain.
It’s not that it is a bad album, it’s just one that is shorn of any true originality and for the most part is a bit of a doom drone. Yes, this is what doom sounds like for the most part anyway and there are parts on this album that are tremendous. The atmospheric opening of ‘Intro’ gives way to some truly heavy riffs on ‘Makarian Furnace’, which summon up the ghost of early Sabbath and slow it right down to a crawl.
It’s the vocals and lyrics that make this album such hard work. As the groans of “I murdered him…” tease out the anguish in ‘Stir Up The Demon’, it’s almost as if you have encountered a doom by numbers approach where all the requisite boxes are ticked but something seen to be missing.
Anguish use the approach where the vocal melodies follow the riff path, which, when utilised properly, can have a stunning effect (see Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’ for further proof). Here they just compound the boredom throughout and it eventually becomes a bit of a dirge.
It would be unfair to slate Anguish though as there are some great moments. The musicianship and in particular the riffs are excellent throughout. ‘Master of Peak’s Fall’ introduces some death elements and the final triptych of ‘The Woven Shield’, ‘Void’ and ‘Snow Hammer’ build a perfect atmosphere as the riffs circle into a psychedelic paradise (or hell in keeping with the fantasy lyrics) and Mountain finally comes to life.
To persevere through this album is rewarding in parts and there is much worse doom around. If you want something mind numbing and heavy then this is the perfect album. If you are looking for something a bit more exciting then you need to move on.
