The Slow Death     

S/T

Aurora Australis Records 2013

Crushing Australian atmospheric doom death.  A lot of words to describe the third album from The Slow Death and they only capture part of the story as there is so much more going on here.  The different elements combine to bring to mind As The Flowers Wither era My Dying Bride meets funeral doom masters, Thergothon.  Take the album's opener, The Prodigal Son, with its massive riffs and ethereal female vocals, I am somewhat reminded of Always era The Gathering mixed with darker doom death like Anathema's debut.  The riffs become more mournful with a melodic edge and the death metal rasps seep out across the song.  The 14 minute track drifts into a solemn period of melodic leads and melancholic synth which rocks you like a sorrowful lullaby.  Sickness begins with a strange landscape of clean guitar, slowly tapping drums and unhurried bass.  A forlorn mood is created while the pace crawls at a funeral doom pace.  The vocals come crashing down like a ton of granite then the melodies rise and sadness floods through the song and ushers in more angelic female vocals.  A more determined and forceful beat imposes itself upon the track near its middle only to relent to dragging funeral doom riffs.  Despondent melodies and female singing wash away all joy and hope on Grave.  The track trudges along as if it dreads any visions of joy or warmth.  The riffs are dreary and solemn despite clear melodic accents and warbling strings starting at the 4:53 mark.  The third album from The Slow Death is an amalgam of differing styles of doom metal.  You can discern elements of standard doom death, funeral doom, female-fronted doom, and so forth.  They all come together and form a depressive and utterly crushing whole, which smothers and pulverizes the listener with grief.  If you like the early works of My Dying Bride, Anathema, Thergothon and The Gathering then The Slow Death will certainly appeal to your more melancholic sensibilities.