Embrace Of Silence - "Leaving the Place Forgotten by God" ...

If there is ever a country that produces predictable doom metal bands it is Russia/and or the Ukraine and if there was ever a label that releases predictable albums it is Solitude Productions. While the label has released some excellent death and funeral doom over the years, they also tend to release bands usually recycling the sounds of My Dying Bride and this is one of the worst examples. To be fair Embrace of Silence are not that bad but calling them predictable would be a understatement of mammoth proportions. I received this album the same day as I got the new My Dying Bride album and that just highlighted how much of a clone band this act really is.

Embrace of Silence are not a throwaway band by any means and this album is certainly not a disaster in any shape or form but the death-doom cliché's are all here and 5 minutes into this album and you have heard the whole story. This is a My Dying Bride, Katatonia wannabee band providing some great playing but offering nothing that hasn't been done to death a million times already. On the positive side, the band do have a great dark atmosphere at work on 'Leaving the Place Forgotten by God' and it is hypnotic and enchanting in a predictable kind of way but that is where my interest ends with this release.

Out of all the doom metal sub-genres, death and funeral doom along with stoner is the most copied approach to doom, but that is alright if a band puts their own identity into the songs. With this album, there seems to be nothing unique to be found. The playing is indeed great, the production is decent without being anything to write home about so it is down to the songs themselves and that is where it is lacking. For the most part, this album lacks spark, that magical element to set it apart from hundreds of other death doom acts. Occasionally some black metal is injected into the mix like what occurs in 'The Slave of Forgotten Graves' and that lifts the album up from being instantly forgettable but highlights like these are hard to find.

Decently heavy guitar tones, chunky bass and solid drums meander along with a good blend of vocal approaches that give the album some color but if you have ever spent any time listening to My Dying Bride you will know what to expect with Embrace of Silence. The albums high-point doesn't come along till the last track 'I'm Your Jesus' but 'The Gates of Remembrance' and 'The Slave of Forgotten Graves' are also above-average songs. In the past the band have released two EP's and this is a step-up from those releases but they still have a long way to go if they are ever going to be seen as anything but yet another copy-cat band. Listenable but all too predictable to have a lasting impact.....5/10.

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