Band:	Desire
Album:	Crowcifix
Style:	Doom metal
Release date:	2009
A review by:	KwonVerge

01. White Falling Room
02. Funeral Doomentia
03. Frozen Heart... Lonely Soul [live]

Desire has to be one of the finest bands to ever come out of Portugal and they have always been kind to their fans due to the fact they never let them down since they never released a dissapointing work. Apart from that, they value their audience, I recall sending them money to receive Pentacrow and Locus Horrendus - The Night Cries Of A Sullen Soul... along with a copy of Infinity... A Timeless Journey Through An Emotional Dream because it's not available anymore and the folder they received was torn apart and re-closed, apparently with no money inside. Yet they did send me the CDs and made me appreciate them even more.

It's been a long time since we last heard of something new from them and during 2009 a new EP saw the light of dawn, Crowcifix. Desire definitely have a huge crush on crows since they have been related to folklore and legends concerning death, ominous signs etc, quite a doom metal bird dare I say!

So, Crowcifix, an interesting blending of words that is being depicted on the gloomy cover artwork in the most appropriate way, an ideal visual aspect of their sound, moving in beauteous and poetic melodic doom/death metal soundscapes. The EP consists of three compositions, two of them being new and one live version of "Frozen Heart... Lonely Soul" which is quite good actually, showing a glimpse of the band's on stage legacy.

Everything's in place, from the slow-paced mourning guitar riffing with some faster but still heavily burdened melodic moments to the floating, imposing and at the same time devout keyboard passages. The rhythm sections lends groove and especially on the drumming factor you will find many interesting ideas instead of a dry interpretation. Tear's vocals range from deep to more shrieking grunts concealing all tranquility in an unerring expressive manner, with some cleaner ones making their appearance at times.

Crowcifix brings Desire back in the game and since we know that the band works on new material that will lead to their third full-length release "White Falling Room's" melancholy and "Funeral Doomentia's" sense of grandeur give the best of promises for another manifestation of sincere beauty and suffering.