Band:	Helevorn
Album:	Espectres
Style:	Gothic doom metal
Release date:	September 2024
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Inherit The Stars
02. The Defiant God
03. Signals
04. When Nothing Shudders
05. Unbreakable Silence
06. L'Endemà
07. The Lost Futures
08. Children Of The Sunrise

Spain isn't a place you'd normally associate with gothic doom, but the feelings with Helevorn are all the same.

Helevorn (a name derived from a lake in Tolkien's The Silmarillion) is a Spanish 6-piece formed in 1999, which now introduces their fifth full-length release to date, Espectres, after a 5-year gap following previous album Aamamata. Since Aamamata, the band has had an almost complete overhaul in line-up; joining original founding vocalist Josep Brunet and long-term guitarist Sandro Vizcaino are four new members in Alex Correa (guitars), Pedro Sánchez (keyboards), and Rubio (bass), along with stand-in session drummer Sebastià Barceló. Still, most people know the drill when it comes to gothic doom; it's a dark, sorrowful, melancholic subgenre that really captures your emotions, and this album is no different. If you're not familiar with Helevorn, then Saturnus (whose vocalist Thomas Jensen guest features on the album), My Dying Bride, and Draconian are perhaps the closest points of comparison.

Based on the book Ghosts Of My Life by philosopher Mark Fisher, Espectres encapsulates the true essence of gothic doom and all emotional aspects that the subgenre represents. "Inherit The Stars" is an opener with no shortage of sorrow and beauty, beginning at a slow tempo and carried by deep heavy bass, slow pounding drums, and low-toned heavy doom riffs, before building the speed as a beautiful melancholic riff sweeps in alongside agonizing gnarly death growls and passionate mournful clean singing. The song regularly swifts back and forth between slower and more moderate speeds, but the instrumentation remains deeply melancholic, venturing between doom and gothic sounds. While the song doesn't break any new ground, the passionate performance is outstanding.

The style of the opening song is sustained throughout the album, but there are slight variations in song structures, and a few surprising elements as the album progresses. Although the tempo never really rushes, the ways in which the band build from slower pace to heavy mid-tempo territory are excellent. The cleans tend to complement the softer melancholic sections, whilst the growls come in during the heavier doomy passages; additionally, soft beautiful piano passages, haunting keyboard melodies, and background synths add further dynamics to an already sorrowful atmosphere.

The most upbeat part of the album comes from the song "Signals". This track tends to shy away from classic doom elements and opts for a more traditional gothic approach in the vein of early Paradise Lost. This mainly consists of a more upbeat rhythm, with light haunting keys, catchy riffs, and an equal measure of cleans and harsh vocals (both well performed), plus quite a striking solo to finish off on. "L'Endemà" is also one of the most upbeat tracks featured on the album, with riffs that tend to be catchier and less repetitive, although a tense build-up led by a heavy chugging doom rhythm finishes the song off in a manner reminiscent of My Dying Bride. The hauntingly angelic Inés González also features as a guest vocalist on this track; as mentioned earlier, Jensen of Saturnus lends his trademark mournful voice to "Children Of The Sunrise".

Gothic doom obviously doesn't result in the most light-hearted of music, but "When Nothing Shudders" is perhaps the most traditionally depressing rendition of the style. Its beautifully sorrowful clean singing and gentle, slow instrumentation might put the happiest of souls in a state of utter despair, but will uplift the spirits of those already suffering with their inner demons. This is one of the band's most masterful songs on the album in terms of songwriting, and represents the emotional peak of gothic doom.

All in all, Espectres is nothing out of the ordinary for gothic doom, but Helevorn does enough to grab your emotions and make you reflect on just how depressing your life truly is, before reminding that you're not alone; you're in the same boat as every other poor soul out there suffering those emotions. If you weren't feeling miserable beforehand, you certainly will after listening to this; however, there's something quite beautiful, powerful and uplifting about it, and it is a perfect way to release your inner dark emotions, proving yet again that depressive dark heavy music can be truly beautiful. You may be thinking you've heard this gothic doom style all too often before, but if you're into this subgenre, then you simply can't go wrong with what Espectres offers.