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Do I need to tell you what genre this album occupies? The subject in question is doom, and very well done doom, indeed. This
is emotional music, and not in a post-hardcore sense.
Like all good doom albums, the purpose of the music is to take you into the depths of hell. There are no feelings of
happiness or joy. The lyrics are a lamented cry in to the darkened sky. But, some doom albums do not communicate this well.
They fail where Novembers Doom succeeds. It is not just taking you to a point of lament, but it takes you through the lament
of those that are wailing. Sympathy is one matter, but doom is all the more real when you are forced to empathize.
The vocals are in the vein of death metal, but not for the full duration of the album. What helps in making a listener
empathize is a human voice. A recognizable human voice. There are some beautiful melodies sung with clean vocals, and this
makes a connect that make the harsh growls all the more dark.
There is not much to be said about escaping the stereotypical lyrics and even song structures of this genre. One thing
is to be said, this album makes you feel, and makes you want to shed off all that you love in the world, and don the sackcloth
and bathe in ashes.
It is my verdict that this release is guilty of assisting suicide. Not the literal act of one killing themselves. It is
more the figurative disdain of all that is living and 'happy'. For this crime, Novembers Doom will be sentenced to continue
their destructive act, as in the realm of metal, this is not a crime, but something worthy of being awarded. Punishment will
then be denied to the plaintiff, and deferred to the victims.
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