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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Cathedral - The Last Spire + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
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│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.May-17-2013 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2013 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........08 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.cathedralcoven.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Cathedral Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : The Last Spire Label : Rise Above ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ CathedralÆs end has come. ôThe Last Spireö is ║ │
│║ the final album released by this legendary ║ │
│║ congress of British doom metal, and I must say ║ │
│║ itÆs somewhat of a whirlwind of bittersweet ║ │
│║ emotions reviewing this mammoth. I bought ôThe ║ │
│║ Garden of Unearthly Delightsö on a whim when I ║ │
│║ was but a stranger to the void of metal, and ║ │
│║ that CD, before discovering classics like ôThe ║ │
│║ Ethereal Mirror,ö was one of my first CD ║ │
│║ purchases everùI doubt IÆd be beyond a ║ │
│║ rudimentary understanding of doom metal had I ║ │
│║ not bought it. Cathedral has always been a ║ │
│║ favorite of mine, and I was saddened when they ║ │
│║ announced this would be the final Cathedral ║ │
│║ output, yet thereÆs an unavoidable truth here ║ │
│║ that is often forgotten: all things must fall. ║ │
│║ Tragic as it may be, ôThe Last Spireö concludes ║ │
│║ the titanic legacy of Cathedral in prime ║ │
│║ fashion, and I believe they've made no errors ║ │
│║ pulling the plug on this colossal band. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Cathedral's releases have a definite mark of an ║ │
│║ excellent group: each one is radically ║ │
│║ different, yet still pumping with the trademark ║ │
│║ blood of its creators. "The Last Spire" comes ║ │
│║ off as a dark, brooding opus most similar to ║ │
│║ their excellent yet underrated "Endtyme" record, ║ │
│║ with hints of "Forest of Equilibrium" and trace ║ │
│║ amounts of the instrumental eccentricity of "The ║ │
│║ Guessing Game." It puts Cathedral in the grave ║ │
│║ in a way that honors just about everything Lee ║ │
│║ and crew have ever made, and it's a fantastic ║ │
│║ conglomeration of the seasoned doom metal sound ║ │
│║ ùthe squad's undisputed strengthùand tiny jabs ║ │
│║ of the occasional experimental element or ║ │
│║ instrument. No fun, upbeat numbers like ║ │
│║ "Midnight Mountain" or "Ride," though; it's all ║ │
│║ sonic, lightless gloom. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ However, "The Last Spire" encapsulates its own ║ │
│║ identity. It's a dark album in that it sounds ║ │
│║ apocalyptic and nihilistic and evil and bleak, ║ │
│║ but does not envision isolation or sadness like ║ │
│║ "Forest of Equilibrium." It's an intense album ║ │
│║ in that its sound quality is heavy and powerful ║ │
│║ and authoritative and experienced, but does not ║ │
│║ steer toward exclusive darkness like "Endtyme." ║ │
│║ The experimental (or progressive, I suppose) ║ │
│║ elements are implemented into the picture ║ │
│║ through some very unpredictable and dazzling ║ │
│║ mediums, and in the end "The Last Spire" is an ║ │
│║ organic Cathedral release representing what are ║ │
│║ pretty much the best aspects of the group's ║ │
│║ discography. It is both everything and nothing, ║ │
│║ natural and foreboding, direct and ║ │
│║ sophisticated. It goes without saying that ôThe ║ │
│║ Last Spireö is the most digestible Cathedral ║ │
│║ album since ôThe Carnival Bizarre," and it ║ │
│║ sounds like a band going out on top. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The introduction to the funeral of Cathedral, ║ │
│║ "Entrance to Hell," is a haunted piece of dark ║ │
│║ samples that sounds like wandering through a ║ │
│║ forlorn, foggy graveyard while undead creations ║ │
│║ circle their prey; it's a proper introduction to ║ │
│║ the album's atmosphere. The symphony of death ║ │
│║ truly begins on "Pallbearer," wherein the ║ │
│║ fierce, crawling doom metal onslaught ignites. ║ │
│║ The song is eleven-plus minutes of Cathedral at ║ │
│║ its most diabolical. The riffs slowly churn and ║ │
│║ boil over drummer Brian Dixon and returning ║ │
│║ bassist Scott Carlson hammering underneath Gaz ║ │
│║ Jennings' loyal guitar work and Leeæs trademark ║ │
│║ voice, and they all sound twisted and totally ║ │
│║ into it. Midway through the monolith Cathedral ║ │
│║ tosses in an acoustic passage-solo combo that ║ │
│║ comes from nowhere, yet works splendidly; a ║ │
│║ perfect example of those minor ║ │
│║ experimental/progressive touches α la "The ║ │
│║ Guessing Game" coming into fruition. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ It circles back to the straightforward Cathedral ║ │
│║ sound, ending the way it started. ôPallbearerö ║ │
│║ is an honest illustration of the whole piece: ║ │
│║ dark doom metal with adventitious influences. ║ │
│║ More interesting, CarlsonÆs bass has more of a ║ │
│║ prominent role in the music than any former ║ │
│║ bassist or release that Cathedral has ever seen; ║ │
│║ itÆs a much more pivotal factor here. Because ║ │
│║ each tune remains so loyal to the albumÆs ║ │
│║ blueprint yet tilted on its own unique angle, no ║ │
│║ song is precisely similar. The least ambitious ║ │
│║ of the bunch, and definitely the most likeable, ║ │
│║ happens to be ôTower of Silence,ö a seven-minute ║ │
│║ bludgeoning of murky, simple heaviness retching ║ │
│║ through LeeÆs sadistic singing and Dixon beating ║ │
│║ easy drum patterns into oblivion. Carlson and ║ │
│║ Jennings both contribute leads during the solo ║ │
│║ section, and the anthem is a righteous cut of ║ │
│║ doom from the womb of its masters, debatably one ║ │
│║ of their finest, ever. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ôThis Body, Thy Tombö and ôCathedral of the ║ │
│║ Damnedö likewise depend on more riff-based ║ │
│║ postulates than the abstract instrumental ║ │
│║ sections of other songs. Then again, this is ║ │
│║ Cathedral, and they do quite well exhibiting ║ │
│║ sunless, pulverizing staples of old-school doom ║ │
│║ metal. ôCathedral of the Damnedö is perhaps the ║ │
│║ most upbeat number, yet it is countless miles ║ │
│║ from the speed and velocity of tempo anomalies ║ │
│║ like ôSoul Sacrifice.ö Longtime session keyboard ║ │
│║ specialist David Moore has an incredibly ║ │
│║ prominent role throughout the album. His arsenal ║ │
│║ of instruments (Hammond organ, Mellotron, ║ │
│║ synthesizers, etc.) is more often than not ║ │
│║ weaving between Cathedral's work, and it at ║ │
│║ times comes to the forefront of the bombardment, ║ │
│║ particularly throughout his solo section during ║ │
│║ "An Observation." It feels so comfortable and ║ │
│║ right; itÆs like coming home for the last time. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ "The Last Spire" is straightforward yet dynamic, ║ │
│║ bold yet loyal, startling yet proud. It is a ║ │
│║ swansong worth writing home about; not a lot of ║ │
│║ bands have that privilege. The material within ║ │
│║ "The Last Spire" runs deep into the intestines ║ │
│║ of Cathedral, like all of its dark secrets and ║ │
│║ masks rolled into one superb entity. The spirit ║ │
│║ of Cathedral has left the autumn's twilight. Its ║ │
│║ body now rests in the cemetery of the gods. This ║ │
│║ album is the final goodbye. Cathedral's one ║ │
│║ final opus envisioned the properties of itself ║ │
│║ with utmost perfection, and it is a fantastic ║ │
│║ display of mastery, no matter how painful the ║ │
│║ parting may be. They'll hopefully make the ║ │
│║ carnival in Valhalla that much more bizarre, and ║ │
│║ you know when they reach its gates, the freaks ║ │
│║ of nature will stand right up, until the circle ║ │
│║ of time finally closes. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ R.I.P. Cathedral. Thanks for the memories. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Entrance To Hell [03:07] │
│ 02 - Pallbearer [11:38] │
│ 03 - Cathedral Of The Damned [05:48] │
│ 04 - Tower Of Silence [06:53] │
│ 05 - Infestation Of Grey Death [09:02] │
│ 06 - An Observation [10:19] │
│ 07 - The Last Laugh [00:38] │
│ 08 - This Body, Thy Tomb [08:47] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [56:12 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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│ │
│■ ■│
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