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░ ██ ██ Artist: Apotelesma ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Timewrought Kings █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-03-24 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Solitude Productions ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Apotelesma is a doom metal band from Utrecht in █
█ the Netherlands. They were originally formed in █
█ 2012, as Monuments and in 2014, they released an █
█ EP, entitled ôThe December Sessionsö, under that █
█ name which I was incredibly fond of. Now they are █
█ ready with their very first full-length album █
█ which is bound to take you on a journey. █
█ Well, what kind of doom metal band is Apotelesma? █
█ Their focus is definitely on atmosphere, so it is █
█ not in the vein of bands like Candlemass. The way █
█ they bring about that atmosphere, however, has █
█ changed compared to when they were known as █
█ Monuments. Back then, they were utilising more █
█ elements from black metal and mixing it with doom █
█ metal to create an absolute spine-chilling █
█ atmosphere. I am not the worldÆs biggest advocate █
█ for black metal but I do acknowledge how fantastic █
█ it can be to achieve different kind of moods █
█ within a track. The black metal has been dialled █
█ down and the band now use a good mixture of █
█ un-distorted guitars, solos, and a bit of clean █
█ vocals to create an atmospheric feel when that is █
█ what they aim for. You can still expect █
█ hard-hitting moments on this record both slow and █
█ fast, and on The Weakest of Men we get a little █
█ sniff of the aforementioned black metal influence █
█ as it takes the front seat when it comes to the █
█ riffs in the latter part of that track. █
█ The vocals of Mitch lies somewhere in between █
█ black metal and death metal with elements of both, █
█ and on this album he added clean vocals to his █
█ toolbox as well, even though they are not as █
█ prevalent. I have to be honest, it took me a █
█ couple of listens to get used to it. That just █
█ comes down to that I am used to their EP where █
█ there are no clean vocals. After those couple of █
█ listens it was clear to hear the impact the vocals █
█ have on not just variation and atmosphere, but █
█ also the bandÆs ability to tell a story with its █
█ lyrics. █
█ The production on ôTimewrought Kingsö is an █
█ overall step up in quality compared to ôThe █
█ December Sessionsö, but even though it has some █
█ good elements there are also a few drawbacks. █
█ There are two drawbacks for me, which comes down █
█ to the mixing. First off, I love the sound they █
█ got out of the drums, especially the snare. For █
█ this slower type of music itÆs perfect with reverb █
█ on. If added properly, reverb can do you wonders █
█ for the mood of your song or album, and it is █
█ applied properly on this record. However, the █
█ snare is too low in the mix. The hi-hat and also █
█ at times the ride are too loud and they push the █
█ snare back which I think is a damn shame. On the █
█ track The Weakest of Men there is a blastbeat █
█ section and I can barely hear the snare as it █
█ drowns to death. That being said, the performance █
█ on the drums is really great, and it fits the doom █
█ metal incredibly well. There is a good deal of █
█ variation and things going on on the ride, hi-hat █
█ and so on but without trying to steal the thunder █
█ from the rest of the band. The sound of the bass █
█ is also very good but it is for the most part too █
█ loud in the mix, but there are also times where █
█ its volume is fine because it is used as the █
█ primary tool for building atmosphere. I absolutely █
█ love the solos on this album, and part of that is █
█ also the production of them. The solos are used as █
█ a tool to impact your listening experience and █
█ touch something within you with more slow-paced █
█ and melancholic playing. The only problem is the █
█ bass, as I mentioned, is too loud at times. When █
█ thereÆs a solo, the bass tries to get in on some █
█ of the spotlight that is shed on the solos. But █
█ that spotlight should belong solely to the guitar. █
█ The first track, Aural Emanations, is without a █
█ doubt my favourite on the record. The way it █
█ introduces itself in the two first minutes is █
█ simply beautiful. There is not other way to put █
█ it. It just sounds beautiful. The musical duality █
█ between beauty and brutality, achieved both █
█ musically with varied sessions but also with the █
█ new addition of the clean vocals, is absolutely █
█ marvellous. This is something they also nail on █
█ Remnants. The songs on this album are pretty long, █
█ as in three out of five songs lasts more than 12 █
█ minutes, and I must say that not all the tracks █
█ hit a home run with me. Apotelesma are rooted █
█ primarily in doom metal, and on this album they █
█ like to progressively build up the music with █
█ different variations in tempo taking you on a █
█ journey upwards and downwards when it comes to the █
█ ferociousness of the tracks. There are interesting █
█ elements in all of the songs, but I only find █
█ myself returning to the opening track, Aural █
█ Emanations, and Remnants. I love the mid-section █
█ of the latter where the solo comes in after the █
█ superb delivery of MitchÆs clean vocals. Why just █
█ two song sticks with me is simply just down to the █
█ composition of the tracks as thereÆs not enough █
█ meat on the other tracks for me, personally, to █
█ revisit too often. And an album that lasts for █
█ almost an hour and, primarily consists of songs █
█ lasting more than 10 minutes rarely will just █
█ never quite be my cup of tea, sadly. █
█ I am so stoked to finally see the band come out █
█ with an album after their change of name. This is █
█ a band I highly doubt would ever go about making █
█ the same album twice, and I really canÆt wait to █
█ see what kind of experience they will have in █
█ store next. If doom metal is the best thing you █
█ know then this album will definitely have more █
█ mileage for you. Even if it isnÆt your favourite █
█ thing, IÆd bet you can still come away from █
█ "Timewrought Kings" with something. This is an █
█ album that is perfect for the fall- and winter █
█ months. Dim the lights or go for a walk and let █
█ this album carry you away. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Aural Emanations 9:00 ░
░ 2. The Weakest of Men 12:27 ░
░ 3. Timewrought 2:53 ░
░ 4. Our Blooming Essence 14:35 ░
░ 5. Remnants 13:57 ░
░ 52:52 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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