Band:	Doomed
Album:	In My Own Abyss
Style:	Death doom metal
Release date:	December 12, 2012
A review by:	Susan

01. Downward
02. Alone We Stand
03. The Ancient Path
04. A Wall Of Your Thrones
05. Restless
06. Leave
07. Oh You, Wide Steppe...

Released on 12/12/12, this is Doomed's second album this year but their debut with doom aficionados Solitude Productions. Pierre Laube, the force behind this one-man band, treats us to another serving of his specialty: solid death doom. His harsh vocals open the album and the "death" in "death doom" is guaranteed. Yet, this is far from one-dimensional; some rather effective moods of melancholy await the patient listener.

Atmosphere abounds and a slow, floating, dream-like sadness appropriates the faster tempos in just the right places. Of all the tracks, "Leave" exemplifies the mesmerizing aspect best. It pulls you in to a groove and rewards you with some sweet guitars. Nice riffs and solos are not confined to this track and help make the whole album the solid piece of doom it is.

For my taste, the harsh vocals are almost too low and, at times, weigh down the music. When the intensity and faster tempos kick in the growls are right on, but during the more tender places they feel nearly cumbersome. Clean vocals supplement the first track and slide around the pitches a bit; this comes across as a highly successful eerie effect and not as a technical deficiency. On another album they probably would not fit and may sound flat, however here they complement the lower vocals perfectly.

Choir nerds, or anyone who gets off on spooky Renaissance or Baroque vocal harmonies, will want to stay tuned for the little surprise in the lovely closing track. Mr. Laube continues to treat the listener to "little surprises" throughout, including a final hidden track, which I'll let you discover all on your own.