My second helping of Russian doom this month, following on from the majestic Ea, comes in the form of the snappily named On The Edge Of The NetherRealm. Web research reveals this to be the debut full-length solo offering from guitarist Vladimir Andreev of Otkroveniya Dozhdya – or Revelations Of Rain if you prefer – but my ignorance of that band means I can’t offer fans any helpful comparisons.
The weighty riffs on display here are augmented by frequent use of mournful piano parts and some ultra deep growls that sit buried deep down in the mix. The piano notes in particular add more than a tinge of gothic atmosphere to the whole affair and that is strengthened further by some of the guitar melodies. These elements – despite those submerged vocal burblings – make Different Realms a much easier listen than the Ea album and perversely a much less impressive one as well.
Many will, quite reasonably, view this as doom metal with added gothic and dark metal flavours but to me it comes across as doom diluted to the point where it barely deserves the name. I certainly wouldn’t pour scorn on such a splendidly produced and professionally performed and arranged piece of work so I’ll settle for saying it just isn’t for me. Slow to mid-paced riffs with gothic shades, growled vocals, melancholy melodies, frequent double bass drum work and admittedly a certain sense of grandeur...if that sounds good to you then check them out at the web address below. For my tastes Different Realms, while occasionally excellent, is too often just dreary.
http://www.myspace.com/ontheedgeofthenetherrealm
