Saturnus - Veronika Decides To Die - review
Saturnus - Veronika Decides To Die - review
Tracklist
01. I Long02. Pretend
03. Descending
04. Rain Wash Me
05. All Alone
06. Embraced By Darkness
07. To The Dreams
08. Murky Waters
A review by
KwonVerge April 21, 2006
"Veronika Decides To Die" is the natural continuation of the sound Saturnus had on "Martyre" and they seem to make the next step in their sound in the most appropriate way, like they never disbanded and continued their course. Their melodic and romantic doom/death metal keeps on shining through the gloomy atmosphere adorned with an angel's tears and blurry heart-felt laments and Saturnus are here to prove that they are back for great things, something someone may notice easily and without any shadow of doubt with their new effort.
The cover is abstract, but in a beautiful way, artistic and desperate with the shades of deep red and white, pleasing the eye of the listener and preparing his ears of what will follow, a dance of withering roses under a wailing sky. A more modern approach as we can see on the cover artwork, taking the artistic concerns of Saturnus to new levels, leaving behind the more poetic/portrait-driven aesthetic of the "Martyre" and "Paradise Belongs To You" covers. Another strong part of the album is the production factor, it's more modern and clean, helping the already wonderful compositions sound ever better, pacing with the aesthetic of "Veronika Decides To Die".
The guitars have that recognizable wailing sound that caresses the deepest cores of your soul. Whether they sound doomy or heavier or they unfold their mid-tempo and inspired tear-filled solos they tend to evoke intense feelings of melancholy and disheartenment in the most beautiful way. The rhythm section is the ideal one for such a wonderful album, imposing or more accompanying and tempo-keeping at others it always tends to interpret its role the way it has to. And then come the piano and keyboard melodies that adorn the soundscape with fragile and emotional sounds, lending that thin element that can make an album from very good to great and Saturnus keep the tradition of their really good piano/keyboard passages on their brand new work successfully. Last but not least comes Thomas, one of my favorite doom metal vocalists! I simply adore his ultra deep grunting voice, his grunting vocals seem to lurk in the darkness like a sweet nightmare whereas his recites evoke a mourning cold almost emotionless aesthetic in the sound of Saturnus that seems almost death-like! The way he interprets the poetic and deep lyrics is just utterly expressive!
The acoustic passages are still present, but there's a distinctive difference now to the trained ear of a Saturnus fan, there are no more neo-folk acoustic passages anymore, it must be the fact that Kim Larsen is no longer part of the band (obviously, since he has the neo-folk act Of The Wand And The Moon).
Anyway, every single composition stands for a small desperate and melancholic story, so don't expect me to pick a favorite, the whole album is a highlight itself; doleful, lachrymose, romantic, beautiful, heart-rending, filled with doom. Proceed "embraced by darkness" and caress Saturnus' new attempt surrounded by \"murky waters\".
Comments
Comments:
19
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 Posts: 848 |
Posts: 848
Amazing album, I have recently gotten it, and its just beautyful from beginning to end
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 Posts: 99 |
Posts: 99
Well ... when i listened two times i got it a 8.. but when i was listen it some months later i think that is brillant ... 'cause is a album that renovates a classical doom metal
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 Posts: 2955 |
Posts: 2955
Isn't this album based on Paulo Coelho's book ''Veronika Decides To Die''?.. i gotta check this out 
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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 Posts: 3723 |
Posts: 3723
I'm very impressed by this album...yea, definitely. Production is realy good done here as you already mentioned, the whole album sounds so pure. Vocals are astonishing, especially I like the growls, which are extremely deep and slow and that come to terms even more than usually. Also the guitar riffs does sometimes complement nicely with the keyboards. It's a great release for me + the artwork also looks very cool too.
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 Posts: 2795 |
Posts: 2795
Second best after their Ep "for the loveless lonely nights" but for me they both deserve a 10
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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Posts: 297  |
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Posts: 15  |
Posts: 15
I am filled with joy due to this album. This album is perfect, 10/10 for me, Words cannot express what i feel, just listen to "descending" WOW!
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 Posts: 777 |
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 Posts: 40071 |
Posts: 40071
Saturnus weakest album, no doubt about that. A 8.0 at most I would say.
---- 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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| Fritillaria
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 Posts: 6209 |
Posts: 6209 Written by [user id=130727] on 09.05.2012 at 13:11 I guess it depends how many doom albums you heard.
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| Fritillaria
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Fritillaria
Account deleted Written by Daniell on 09.05.2012 at 14:22 well I assume I have heard not a big number yet not small either, besides I think this album is beautiful individually and not in comparisons with the others 
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| Posts: 40071 |
Posts: 40071 Written by Daniell on 09.05.2012 at 14:22 I know people who have heard more doom albums than you and I combined and would agree with Fritillaria.
---- 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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| Posts: 6209 |
Posts: 6209
More than you? That's something rare I guess. I myself probably heard like 25% of what you did 
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| Posts: 40071 |
Posts: 40071 Written by Daniell on 09.05.2012 at 14:44 Maybe over here on MS  But not in the metal (and then especially doom) circles I move in here in The Netherlands 
---- 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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| Posts: 2795 |
Posts: 2795
I heard a lot of Doom Metal albums (not as much as Marcel obviously ) and I would put easily place this in my top 10, but I still prefer Martyre over this
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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Posts: 80  |
Posts: 80
Just discovered Saturn recently and i'm loving every one of their albums great band.
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 Posts: 64328 |
Posts: 64328
Reading Der Roz reviews and this I wander what kind a music he would play and what text it would be. enjoying reading his reviews, but this might be his weakest
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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