Right lets get the coffee on the go, it’s going to be a long night spent with Canada’s Longing For Dawn. Although there are only four tracks on this, their third album they are not particularly short, the genre tag of funeral doom metal kind of gives that one away. I see this lot are just about to embark on some dates with Ireland’s Mourning Beloveth and Mournful Congregation from Australia, so that is going to be an interesting road trip for three bands all from different continents and it should give you some sort of perspective on what to expect musically on ‘Between Elation And Despair.’
To be honest there is not much elation that I have discovered here, plenty of despair though and on that emotion this does not disappoint in the slightest. First number ‘Our Symbolic Burial’ is the second longest at 15 minutes, the shortest here is 9 and a half but you really want to make sure you have time to give this your complete attention as it works best as one fluidly continuous piece. Ambient acoustics build with what sounds like a cacophony of ghosts in the background and a lone guitar chord strumming. Then unexpectedly what sounds like a trumpet joins in. It is almost as though the Angel Gabriel is blowing his horn. Crash! Everything else drops in over the precipice, the instrumentation is slow yet thick and heavy, vocal lamentations full of sorrow before turning into bestial growls. I was, until this happened slightly reminded of Jesu, not anymore though and have to say this is pretty damn original, especially with the horns wailing away in the background.
There is a real ritualistic feel here, like some sort of anti exorcism, summoning something up from the depths. Deep is where the ambient moments that perpetuate seem to be airily making their way from too. The meditative flow seamlessly segues into second number ‘A Sunrise At Your Feet’ there is no real change of pace and all that one really feels could be at their feet here are the bleak fiery pits of hell. The vocal roars sound hungrier in their search for fresh souls. It is almost a relief when the track does actually lighten towards the end with clean vocals and acoustic guitar but how long will it last?
The question that I have not answered here is do I actually like this? Just to be a total pain the answer has to be ambiguous, as there are parts to this I like but I am not sure about the whole tone of the album and do not think it is one that I would repeatedly listen to. No doubt if you were on the right drugs or medications this could really take you to another place. Christ knows what consumption this would necessitate though and not too sure if I want to. I do find myself trancing out to a large extent here though and losing track of time listening to it, suddenly snapping back into consciousness as a sudden drum and cymbal crash on ‘Reflective’ makes its mark. I do like this genre a lot but have not found this the easiest of listens, although it is a very complex and mature one and for that I can only commend Longing For Dawn.
http://www.longingfordawn.ca
http://www.myspace.com/longingfordawn
