Process Of Guilt - Erosion review
| Band: | Process Of Guilt |
| Album: | Erosion |
| Style: | Doom metal |
| Release date: | June 2009 |
| A review by: | Marcel Hubregtse |
01. Dust (The Circle Part I)
02. Waves (The Circle Part II)
03. Corrosion (The Circle Part III)
04. Lava (The Circle Part IV)
05. Abandon (The Circle Part V)
06. The Circle (Erosion Part I)
Like I mentioned in my Mourning Lenore review a couple of months ago Portugal isn't too well-known for its metal scene. But it certainly seems that especially the Portuguese doom scene is starting to come of age and besides Insaniae the aforementioned Mourning Lenore this year also sees Process Of Guilt making some "Waves".
Apparently I was told about this band a couple of years ago by Ivor but somehow I had never followed up on them until they were mentioned again last year September when Lucas and I were interviewing Felix and Pim (Officium Triste) about Dutch Doom Days. At last year's Dutch Doom Days I came across Process Of Guilt's full-length debut Renounce thanks to Collin and immediately fell in love with their death/doom sound which also held some slight blackish influences.
So how does the, always so important, sophomore album hold up compared to the debut? First thing that is noticeable is that the black influences have almost disappeared completely and the band have now moved on towards to a more, what some would probably call, post-doom sound. Still death/doom to the bone but with soundscapish undertones of bands such as Isis, Mono, Pelican, Cult Of Luna and some almost Neurosis-like tribal sort of drumming at times and Draconian Times-era Paradise Lost riffing and guitar tone. Hopefully all this makes sense to you all, for I sure as hell don't know how else to describe their quite unique sound.
The first five songs form an integral part and flow neatly into each other creating the illusion of a single song. Shortest song of the album "The Circle (Erosion Part I)" closes proceedings after a couple of seconds of silence thus being a clear epilogue to this album.
So, this is clearly an album that should not be shuffled. Anyone who even thinks of playing Erosion on shuffle certainly isn't worth such great music gracing their ears.
This is an album best experienced at night with the lights out. Let the music envelop you and erode you like subsequent waves of lava corroding you to the bare essence of your soul and turning you into dust and then slowly abandoning you thus making the circle of life complete.
So, after having come to my senses again I can safely say this is one of the single best, if not best, death/doom releases of the year. I cannot see any other band, well-known or underground, even come close this year (and maybe I am being over-confident here) or even in the next couple of years, unless Process Of Guilt are about to outdo themselves. It has been quite a long long time ago that an album has had this effect on me and moved me this much.
And now it's only a matter of time before I see this band on stage and hopefully perform the entire Erosion album live. Only twelve more days before they play at Madrid Is The Dark Fest on September 12.
Comments page 2 / 2
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Comments: 56
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374  |
Written by BloodTears on 01.09.2009 at 15:42 Are you aware you're about to ignore one of the best [the best imho] metal genres and one of the most emotional genres done by mankind? I understand you, but It's indeed such a pity  I guess I'm starting to be just like Marcel: I'm finding the pleasure and happiness after hearing such a crushing music. It's upliftning in a very special way.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835  |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 10.09.2009 at 17:33 Although there's truth to what you said, I'm fulfilled by other genres, I get my pleasure and happiness from other things. Maybe something will trigger me to listen to it again, who knows. I won't fight it, I hope.
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| Stigmatized .......... Posts: 3820  |
My favorite album of 2009 so far. Amazing stuff. Just another band I've found via Marcel.
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| Lucas Mr. Noise Elite Posts: 13427  |
Hey I only just noticed you linked both Ivor and Collin but not me. Bitch. 
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?  "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| BitterCOld The Ancient One Admin Posts: 15287  |
Consider me on the bandwagon. got it last week, listened to it about six times. it's up with the new Mastodon and Ahab as one of my favorite three of the year.
---- 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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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by BitterCOld on 29.09.2009 at 00:16 I knew you would really enjoy it. Probably the post-metal influences did it for you.
---- 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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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Lucas on 17.09.2009 at 23:57 Fized that you whining emo girl 
---- 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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| Derwood Posts: 511  |
Your "Madrid Is the Dark" review prompted me to check this album out Marcel. I don't know how I missed this review up til now, or I most certainly would have listened to it earlier. Apparently I have been missing out on one of the darkest, most soul crushing albums of the year. I've normally got to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy doom, but this album takes me there whether I want to go or not. Erosion is perfectly titled as it does indeed erode your defenses, slowly dragging you into some deep, dark pit so quietly that you have been isolated from every shred of light without even having noticed that shadows had started to lengthen. One of the ways I measure the quality of a piece of music is by gauging its ability to move me emotionally, and this album does that effortlessly. Granted, the emotions it stirs are dark and unpleasant - but this is doom metal after all.
---- You can't fight evil with a macaroni duck!
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Derwood on 02.10.2009 at 09:16 As you can guess I totally agree with you on this one. Imo, it is still the best album of the year with only two and a half months to go I can't see anyone bumping this off my number one spot.
---- 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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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
I agree with your last coment, Marcel... I can't think of a better album right now. It would be impossible at this rate unless Esoteric comes out of nowhere with another crushing album
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2681  |
I got the album 2 days ago and I realize exactly why is this one of "or maybe THE" best doom album this year somehow they reminded me of Esoteric and Mourning Beloveth yet they have done something unique with its own dark flavor an unforgetable experience
---- 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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| 3dd Posts: 64  |
I just finished listening it... Alright, I don't know what do you people saw in this album, really. The guitar riffs , vocals and lyrics are nothing new, just repetitive (doom don't need to be it) and...blank (except the song "Abandon" IMO). The genre "funeral doom" make us feel uneasy and thoughtful about life and really bring us down ( Shape of Despair,Evoken, Ahab...) but it's not this case. It's a average album, but not THAT good.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by 3dd on 16.12.2009 at 05:46 But then again this is not Funeral Doom.  Strange you mention that Shape Of Despair and Ahab make us feel uneasy and thoughtful about life and really bring us down because those two certainly don't make me feel uneasy and thoughtful and sure as hell don't bring me down., but then again music has a different way of affecting different people.
---- 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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| Tiago Rocha Dark Lighthouse Posts: 89  |
Indeed, a good record. Can't wait for Mourning Lenore's debut... have a strong feeling on that one!
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| MeloDeathViking Posts: 516  |
So I've given this album a few more listens over the last week or so since the awards voting went up, and I still don't see what the big deal is about this album. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good album, but I don't think it's the best doom album of the year. I probably wouldn't even put it in my top 3. When I listen to it, I just don't get the raw sense of emotion I get when I listen to Isole's last album, or like I got when I first heard Watching From a Distance. I know music is all personal taste, but I just haven't seen what makes people cream their pants over this album 
---- "I am not superstitious, but I'm a little 'stitious." - Michael Scott
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by MeloDeathViking on 16.02.2010 at 16:12 I like Isole's latest, don't get me wrong, but I find actually to be very emotionless this time around. Whereas here we have raw anger and frustration screaming out. I am of course not going into Watching From A Distance cause that is by far my favourite album of the past decade
---- 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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| MeloDeathViking Posts: 516 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 16.02.2010 at 17:23 This is actually my first experience with Isole, so my opinion might change once I go back and check out their earlier work. Like I said, I definitly think Erosion is a good album, just not the best doom of the year for me. But I will say I have definitly expanded my doom catalog and expectations after listening to 5 or 6 of the canidates this year. Definitly a quality year for doom, and there are still more I hope to be able to listen to in the near future. Listening to Griftegard now; definitly a good recommendation on your part. Going back to Erosion though, I also think I favor the more traditional doom vocals instead of the death/growling vocals in most cases.
---- "I am not superstitious, but I'm a little 'stitious." - Michael Scott
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| Morphis Posts: 80  |
Doom is not the type of metal that i most like but this album is realy something. Even if i don't realy connected at 100% with the lyrics the atmosphere and deepness that is created where, realy push me into a great experience.
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| Skøllgrim Northern Posts: 389  |
Solid release, pleasant surprise that caught me totally off-guard. I'll have this playing for some time still I fear.  It might be because I have re-discovered doom, but it feels like this is great times for the genre. All sorts of dark music, like crushing doom, depressive black, massive droning.. or whatever makes me feel great and definitely lifts me up. "Music" like (c)rap and particularly dance music makes me depressed and irritated.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Skøllgrim on 22.02.2010 at 12:35 These are indeed great times for doom. An abundance of great releases. And just look at the sheer quality of nominations in the Doom and Extreme Doom categories for the 2009 MS Awards.
---- 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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| Daggon Underpaid M.D. Posts: 1689  |
At first listen I didn't like this album but since the first time, it grew really fast in my mind, certainly I agree with Marcel, this is for sure one of the greatest releases in the Doom scene on 2009 (Damn! 2009 was a nice fucking year for doom and for me cuz thanks to all the releases like this I'm getting more and more into the scene, oh my, I can't have enough).
---- "Les vers savent qu'ils n'ont pas d'ailes, c'est pour cela qu'ils se cachent sous terre"
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 03.09.2009 at 19:49 I FINALLY listened to the cd in its entirity the way it was supposed to be (ok, I did have a lamp on but only because I didn't want to pass out, it was kind of late). And wow... This is a beautiful yet incredibly crushing masterpiece, this is indeed the kind of metal I love the most. I remember the countless times I listened to Lava from their myspace and youtube and now I see how important it is to listen to all the cd in the right order. Every intro fall into the perfect place. Lava sounded so different in terms of atmosphere from all the other times I listened to it just because I now could listen to it in the right moment. Brilliant, just fucking brilliant.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 01.05.2011 at 03:29 That took you two weeks to finally listen to it in its entirety Thank God you didn't get it signed by Hugo or else it would be your favourite album ever
---- 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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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 01.05.2011 at 03:50 I still feel bad that I didn't ask him but I wanted to see Earth asap and I was already late. And to bring it with me just so he can sign it in the future seems a bit too fanboy for me edit: Who the fuck am I kidding, I would bring it with me if I have the opportunity to get it signed.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 01.05.2011 at 03:53 I did have the felt tip pen on me when you bought the cd from him, so had you asked right there and then it would have been sorted.
---- 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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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 01.05.2011 at 03:55 .... Ah fuck. Oh btw it actually took me almost 2 years to lsiten to it in its entirity as I was so lazy to download it and felt like I wanted to wait until I could get a copy.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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