We’re almost in October now; where did summer go? That “barbecue summer” the met office were threatening didn’t quite materialise and frankly I’m glad to see the leaves start to turn and the nights draw closer…and there is just something about the autumn months that really has me hankering for a bit of gothic doom. Perhaps it is the marriage between the gloomy grey skies and the beautiful hues of red and golden leaves underfoot as the signs of summer slowly die before us that makes this kind of music an ideal soundtrack for those Oct/Nov days. Now, I guess that line between melancholic and, well, dreary, is a fine one especially where this label is concerned. I often find My Kingdom releases promising something that just doesn’t deliver but thankfully this isn’t the case with Resonance Room.
Far from the sellotaped-together doom I was half expecting, this comprises of graceful, flowing melodies, such as that on ‘Far From Grace’ (‘scuse the pun). There is a nice crunch to the guitars while the keyboards are particularly haunting on this track. There is a nice amount of atmosphere on this album and tracks like ‘Frost and Emptiness’ emit a real warm glow and the level of emotion I would attribute to Katatonia. This has that similar maudlin vibe running through it and vocals on ‘A Prayer’ come across with that Jonas Renkse heartfelt croon. ‘Maybe You Are’ offers a kind of Anathamaic comfort through its tearstained echoes of tragedy that bear a little resemblance to ‘Shroud Of Frost’ and again this is softened by some haunting keyboards that linger in the background.
There is a subtle progressive slant that weaves in and out through these tracks, through the off-kilter time signatures on ‘A Prayer’ while ‘Bloodred’ equally has some proggy flourishes mixed with a paced bombardment of drums and a warm atmosphere that is laced with intrigue, even if I do find it takes a couple of listens to allow this to grow on me. There is a hint of Opeth in ‘Escape,’ as much as I hate to pile on these lazy comparisons. If I’m really going to nitpick, then I really do cringe at the ‘Roots’ Sepultura guitar scrapes on this track and coming so soon in the album initially does have me worried, though thankfully these end here. There is a plodding Goth bassline on ‘While I Burn’ which just seems to fit the vibe of the album, while with its big, clean vocals ‘Unspoken’ is a good end to things as it sweeps up with dramatic fervour.
Having given some rather direct comparisons in this review, I think it’s fair to say that this isn’t exactly boundary-shattering stuff, and if you go in expecting a doom metal masterpiece you are likely to be in for a let-down. But this really is a solid album that should appease fans of Katatonia and Anathema and one I’d recommend.
http://www.myspace.com/resonanceroom
