This German band has been around since 2004 and their path is clear-cut towards the most negative of black/doom hybridizations. On their second demo tempos are mostly geared on doomish, dragged rhythms; riffs are effused with melancholy while vocals are reminiscent of Bethlehem and Silencer’s own Nattramn at times but otherwise are of the usual ilk. Aesthetically one might also discern a tint of Shinings’ aura of tormented desolation together with the disturbingly delightful monochromatic drab of Burzum. The mood’s captivating quality is achieved by having appropriate emotively explosive parts which flow into slow, oppressive doom passages. The demo predominantly achieves in exuding its intended emotive portrait of negativity and this is of paramount importance since such intuitive qualities many a time precede instrumental complexity, especially for such acts. Giving more attention on the song’s organization and fluidity would definitely help however, since there is a sense of incompleteness at the song level. The band as a whole does exhibit a natural and strong propensity towards their particular genre but there is a need, although not too obvious, in honing their compositional skills. Ultimately this will allow them to funnel their inspirational sparks into a cohesive whole with more musical composure and make their presence even more asserting and convincing in their next releases. Isolation’s glacial atmospherics should slake any black/doom aficionado’s thirst with their second demo and it is in this aspect that the band has the most potential to expand into and cement itself as a respected unit in its niche.
(originally written for Tartarean Desire - 28/4/2007)
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