Warning - Watching From A Distance review
| Band: | Warning |
| Album: | Watching From A Distance |
| Style: | Epic doom metal |
| Release date: | 2007 |
01. Watching From A Distance
02. Footprints
03. Bridges
04. Faces
05. Echoes
Next time a newbie to (Traditional) Doom Metal asks me what the genre is about, my answer shall be confined to one mere word: Warning. As his or her face will doubtlessly bear a puzzled look, should I really answer in such fashion, my patient person shall have to repeat and explain that answer. And I will gladly do so, as everyone that has but the slightest interest in Warning is my friend.
Yes, besides a signal of danger, Warning is also the name of a band. A British band. A highly emotional, animating band, seemingly the love of all the reviewers around the world, yet unknown to the majority of the listeners. A damn shame, that's what that is. If any album (Doom, or Metal in general) of the past ten years is massively underrated, it is "Watching From A Distance". But Warning themselves seem not to care, as they have been going since 1994 and keep going on, in the same pace as their music.
As a matter of fact, they have taken everything so easy that they were put into hibernation for a couple of years. The reason that I am mentioning this is because the vocalist, Patrick Walker, took a break from writing music and focused on acting, his other hobby. And it shows. Compare their first album "The Strength To Dream" to this one and be amazed at the immense, IMMENSE progress his voice has made. On the debut he was already good, but on "Watching From A Distance" he is glorious. Gloriously wailing. It might take some time getting used to his unique sound, but after a few spins you will sink deeper and deeper into the swamp of misery that is Warning.
Pat's vocals are accompanied by heavy guitar riffs, full of bass and sad melodies. Drenched in a very grey distortion, their slightly unusual sound is perfect for this type of music (and vocals). Together with the splashes of the drummer they are compact and tight, but at the same time wavering all over the place. Of course the pace is through-out the entire album slow and doleful, yet you will discover time flies by when listening to this album.
No more praise now, it is time the traditional Doom lovers discover this secret gem and give Warning the recognition they deserve. Before you will know it, the release of this album will be sold out again (perhaps it is already) and they will sink into oblivion once more. And that would be a great shame. Take my word for it, this is the best Traditional Doom Album of post 2000.
 | Written on 27.07.2008 by If you're interested in extreme, often emotional and underground music, check out my reviews. I retired from reviewing, but I really used to be into that stuff. |
Comments
Comments: 78
Visited by: 404 users
| BitterCOld The Ancient One Posts: 15250  |
"Watching from a Distance" is a fantastic album. I checked it out after reading Marcel and Lucas both pining on and on and on and on about it... it lived up to their hype. the band plods along, glacially, setting a gloomy (doomy) mood - it's tight and sounds good. i like the production, particularly on the drums. they do a great job in spacing the riffs to develop the somber atmosphere, setting the table for Pat's vocals. the vocals themselves take a slight bit of getting used to, kinda like Ozzy in a sense, but they are so wrought and wracked with the emotions of sorrow, ultimate loss, and failure that they just haunt the listener. a staggeringly grand album. great review as well.
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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| Hamird Lieutenant Posts: 2564 From: Iran  |
I'm glad to this album... This was one of first Doom experiences which was very nice.. And the thing that hold my attention is the vocals.. Those vocals are very nice..
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden  |
The vocals are very unique indeed... and hard to get into. But the riffs are sooooo good and crushing. I will check this out 
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| peter666 Posts: 2 From: Belgium |
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| Shadowcross The Summoner Posts: 481 From: Australia  |
this album is so amazing.. at first I could only take the title track but the despairing feel brought me back to the rest of the album. Grows on you, and as said above it can be hard to get into. Love his vocal style
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| Talvi Posts: 825 From: Spain  |
I'm the only one that thinks that this is overrated?
---- My account on other musical pages: http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/ http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920 From: Italy  |
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| Heart_of_METAL Posts: 40 From: Czech Republic  |
I don´t know if this the best doom album ever, but I know,:thumbup: that is the best doom album I have ever heard
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| Skøllgrim Northern Posts: 389  |
This album simply can't be recommended enough.... soul crushing doom!
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| spirit_inblack harshhead Posts: 715 From: Canada  |
"It makes so much out of so little" - probably the best description I've read for this album. It does get a little tedious and dragging because you're basically hearing the same thing throughout, the same depressing chords with not a whole lot of variation, but it's not about that. The sheer epic-depressive quality, accompanied by some very unique vocals, make this album one of the strongest in doom.
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| Daniell _爱情_ Posts: 6059 From: Poland  |
Written by Elio on 26.02.2009 at 17:45 If you take on a cold approach, devoid of the emotional side of music (which you have every right to do of course), you will conclude that this album is boring, monotonous and tedious. But the key to it is its emotional impact, which makes it so good.
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Posts: 5068 From: Greece  |
Not THAT much of a traditional doomster, i prefer grunts n' screams, i'll give it a spin and hopefully more!
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Posts: 5068 From: Greece |
Written by Guest on 17.09.2010 at 20:34 this sounds better, hope the voice will be as good as it has to or more so as to equal or even surpass my need for woeful and heart-rending grunts 
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by KwonVerge on 17.09.2010 at 20:46 Yep, it's quite gruntless! The vocals are pretty much based around the Ozzy kind of sound. A lot of people find it annoying and whiny but I've never had a problem with it. I suppose you might do though  it's quite OTT at times (though not in a Messiah way).
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Posts: 5068 From: Greece |
Written by Guest on 17.09.2010 at 20:47 I don't like Ozzy, i don't like Black Sabbath, i'm an unorthodox doomster, a respectless 90s/00s doom child (with a few trad exceptions, Reverend Bizarre, Candlemass and such)
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Quote:Written by KwonVerge on 17.09.2010 at 20:53 Yeah same here if I'm honest. I don't really listen to Sabbath although I find it quite tolerable. Candlemass is pretty much the only pre-90's metal band I listen to on a regular basis. Modern metal is always best =J
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Posts: 5068 From: Greece |
Quote:Written by Guest on 17.09.2010 at 20:56 And then Marcel breaks in and we have two chopped heads with our ears sodomized by Witchfinder General
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by KwonVerge on 17.09.2010 at 21:11 I am indeed expecting that =P
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands  |
No, I won't. i'll just let you two ignorant kiddies be btw witchfinder general is okay, nothing great or such. Imo even quite overrated.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Posts: 5068 From: Greece |
Marcel's heart is still vivid, although in doomy tempo, it still beats for us kidd(->n)(e)y (failures)
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands |
Yes, indeed  btw, looking at my doom collection I think it is equal parts grunt/extreme sludge/stoner clean vocals/traditional/epic
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Posts: 5068 From: Greece |
The fair jugge dredd of doom metal
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| KwonVerge Odysseus Posts: 5068 From: Greece |
---- Dec. 30, 1334. ...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 From: Serbia  |
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| Carl Berg Carl Berg Posts: 589 From: Luxembourg  |
Written by Slayer666 on 18.09.2010 at 10:06 Dudes, this album is without doubt a doom masterpiece. If you can't sit through more than the first 3 minutes than you don't know doom metal.
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 From: Serbia |
Written by Carl Berg on 18.09.2010 at 18:43 Nah, man, I like a lot of Doom Metal. But I can't understand what is so good about this particular album. Sure, the first song is one of the best I've heard in this genre, but the rest are too much alike and offer nothing more. Basically, the entire album can be easily replaced with just the first song, IMO.
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Posts: 18274 From: Sweden |
Written by Slayer666 on 20.09.2010 at 15:45 That's a common feature in many MANY metal bands
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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