Fans of Mar de Grises will need no introduction to this band. It is of course the work of one Juan Escobar. He left that band to focus on this band called AstorVoltaires. For those folks who are already a fan of the band, this second release from the band won't offer any surprises as it is just more of the same really but that is not so bad if you like the blend of doom metal, post-rock and melodic death metal. So similar is this album compared to the first that I on first spin, I thought I had put on the début album instead of this one. Not only does this album sound remarkably similar to the first album, it also doesn't sound like any progression has been made at all but is that a problem? Well the answer is not really, this is still a very solid dose of melodic doom.
This album takes some time finding its feet. The opening track 'Rosas y Fuego' never quite gets off the ground throughout its six minutes and it is not till halfway through the album that the real meat of the album is unleashed. That is not to say the first half is weak, far from it. There are crushing riffs and a brooding kind of atmosphere which does have a hypnotic quality that keeps you interested but there is something about this album that is playing it safe. This album doesn't pound, hit or crush the eardrums because it just kind of drifts along despite a lot of mid-tempos. The guitar has a warm, rich tone to it and there are nice instrumental touches via the use of keys and some female vocals. The main vocals on the other hand didn't sit too well with me. Most of the time Escobar's vocals seem unnatural and forced like he is trying a bit too hard. He has variation in his vocal approach and thank god because too much of his in-your-face growl would certainly kill a lot of the enjoyment these songs have to offer.
The albums real saving grace is it doesn't stick too much to the usual formulaic doom metal style and the little variations along the way whether it be the three or four different vocal styles or the use of subtle but always interesting instrumentation means that it is an easy hour or so to sit through. One thing that is great about this musician is he is consistently good and this is another above-average doom release but if you want to hear a band taking chances and experimenting, you won't hear it on 'BlackTombsForDeadSongs.' Predictable but solid, this album should please the average doom metal fan.....7.5/10.
Words: Doommaniac
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This album takes some time finding its feet. The opening track 'Rosas y Fuego' never quite gets off the ground throughout its six minutes and it is not till halfway through the album that the real meat of the album is unleashed. That is not to say the first half is weak, far from it. There are crushing riffs and a brooding kind of atmosphere which does have a hypnotic quality that keeps you interested but there is something about this album that is playing it safe. This album doesn't pound, hit or crush the eardrums because it just kind of drifts along despite a lot of mid-tempos. The guitar has a warm, rich tone to it and there are nice instrumental touches via the use of keys and some female vocals. The main vocals on the other hand didn't sit too well with me. Most of the time Escobar's vocals seem unnatural and forced like he is trying a bit too hard. He has variation in his vocal approach and thank god because too much of his in-your-face growl would certainly kill a lot of the enjoyment these songs have to offer.
The albums real saving grace is it doesn't stick too much to the usual formulaic doom metal style and the little variations along the way whether it be the three or four different vocal styles or the use of subtle but always interesting instrumentation means that it is an easy hour or so to sit through. One thing that is great about this musician is he is consistently good and this is another above-average doom release but if you want to hear a band taking chances and experimenting, you won't hear it on 'BlackTombsForDeadSongs.' Predictable but solid, this album should please the average doom metal fan.....7.5/10.
Words: Doommaniac
