Band:	Cathedral
Album:	The Ethereal Mirror
Style:	Doom metal, Stoner metal
Release date:	1993
Guest review by:	Candlemass

Disc I
01. Violet Vortex
02. Ride
03. Enter The Worms
04. Midnight Mountain
05. Fountain Of Innocence
06. Grim Luxuria
07. Jaded Entity
08. Ashes You Leave
09. Phantasmagoria
10. Imprisoned In Flesh
11. Sky Lifter [instrumental version] [Japanese bonus]
12. A Funeral Request [1993 version] [Japanese bonus]

Disc II [2009 re-release bonus]
01. Hypnos 164
02. Cosmic Funeral
03. The Voyage Of The Homeless Sapien
+ "Ethereal Reflections", a 40-minute brand new documentary with key original band members, filmed in Coventry in 2009
    1 - Musical Progression
    2 - A Major Deal
    3 - Manor Studio
    4 - The Artwork
    5 - Tension Rising
    6 - Fashion Sense
    7 - Disco Doom
    8 - Exit Adam
    9 - Where Are You Now?
    10 - Reflections

Cathedral's second release contains both Stoner rock and Doom metal, experimenting with swinging passages and psychedelic rock, blues-rock painted riffs and darker Black Sabbath and Candlemass-type of doomy riffs of loss and ruin. Creating a pretty unique experience, especially for its time and era, Cathedral sets the sound for the releases to come, and "The Ethereal Mirror" will later prove to be a very influential release for modern doom metal of the 90's.

"The Ethereal Mirror" flows track to track rather well without the feeling of burden, even at the slow doomish lumbering riffs, which many fine too weary to flow in diaphanous current, all the more so carrying out the great groovy psychedelic riffs, but at all times Cathedral keep a metallish belligerent approach to it. Cathedral manages to keep this release varying in moods throughout the entire album. Of course I cannot forget and not mention the memorable soloing guitar, colorful guitar effects, the ranging vocals of Lee Dorrian, chanting his gloomy, dark lyrics and storytelling of fantasy.
And the cherry on the cake, some stylish trippy decorating - hand clapping and psychedelic effects.

Cathedral stands side by side with the greatest traditional Doom metal of its time, bands such as Candlemass, Trouble and Saint Vitus, not only keeping the style alive, but exalting it, glorifying and expanding it, creating new horizons for future bands to explore and follow. Overall a very enjoyable album, some consider this release their finest album of their career, very fine at the less melodic segments and melodic alike, a nightmarish goo of dark grooved psychedelia, this release equals essential, a release that turned out to be to be termed so - not solely for the genre's fans.