Ablaze in Hatred are a Finnish doom-death act of the most imposing and poignant variety, and their second full-length release, “The Quietude Plains”, unleashes a ponderous yet often strikingly beautiful onslaught of depressed heaviness, which easily outstrips the band’s impressive 2006 debut. Although the template for this type of weighty gloom has been long set, and Ablaze in Hatred have not moved far from their early influences, the confidence and sheer sense of scale they display on this album makes them a highly attractive proposition, and belies the relatively few years they have spent together.
One particularly strong element of Ablaze in Hatred’s song-writing is their ability to pen guitar leads laden with grace and the ability to hook, rather than opting for the droning wall of sound approach that can dog unpractised doom acts. From the repeated clean movement used on “A Walk Through the Silence”, through the slightly eastern promise of the melodies on “Perfection of Waves” to the suffering swells of “Beyond the Trails of Torment”, guitarists Juhani and Mika retain a delicacy of touch, which allows for songs with strong characters, and plenty of surprises.
That’s not at all to suggest that Ablaze in Hatred create a soft and thoughtful sound; far from it. The awe-inspiringly crushing weight of their production on “Deceptive Awareness” returns with full force, for a monumentally vast and oppressive overall aura. A number of the tracks on offer make almost relentless use of the ear-bashing expulsions of sound that give doom its draw, and the deep and sinister growl that begins “Beyond the Trails…” is certainly far from pretty, possessed of a sludgy black metal edge. Still, hopelessly sad beauty is never far from dawning, be it in the dripping-icicle tones of the title track’s clean piano, or in the incredible, dense layers of guitar on “My Dearest End”, an epic song whereon the reintroduction of the opening theme towards the end resembles a moment of revelation.
“The Quietude Plains” isn’t unique, but it stands out far ahead of the pack, in that there is almost never-ending interest to be found in the complexity and majesty of its slow-burning, slab-heavy evolutions. Gorgeous melodies parry with crushing riffs as heavy as a sad soul, whilst dreamy yet sepulchral synths provide a suitable backdrop for the small moments of pretty fragility. A low, competent grunt suggests that what we’re dealing with here sits solidly within its genre, but it’s more than possible that Ablaze in Hatred have exceeded traditional boundaries with their skill and craftsmanship, and near definite that they will be a name to contend with in the future.
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http://www.ablazeinhatred.com
