Pallbearer - Sorrow And Extinction review
| Band: | Pallbearer |
| Album: | Sorrow And Extinction |
| Style: | Doom metal |
| Release date: | February 21, 2012 |
| A review by: | Boxcar Willy |
01. Foreigner
02. Devoid Of Redemption
03. The Legend
04. An Offering Of Grief
05. Given To The Grave
And here we have a nice post-modern piece of doom metal. This piece was written and recorded by a quartet from Little Rock, Arkansas named Pallbearer. It was released in the early months of 2012. They say this beautiful piece was created with the mindset that all is lost, and that hope is a pointless fallacy. They say that all your dreams fade away as soon as you take a listen, your aspirations to achieve, your hopes of a better life, with a new career and a family. They say all of that disappears.
Everything they say is true.
This slab of traditional doom took up base, swung, and shot all of my expectations out of the park. The first acoustic intro shows the listener what the rest of the album will achieve. The emptiness and slow notes bring to life the thoughts of sadness that the musicians feel every day. The first riff crashes in like the waves of a tsunami. The heaviness combined with a sorrowful melody creates an atmosphere unmatched by anything I've heard in a very, very long time.
The entire album continues in this fashion. A variety of riffs, that range from slow, heavy chugs that hit like a freight train, to vibrato solos and melodies that kill my soul (in a good, doom way). Fuzzy bass brings a warm feeling to the sound, like the numbness that sets in after you've been out in the cold too long. This is all aided by the wonderful voice of Brett Campbell. His voice fits the music perfectly, like Cinderella and her glass slipper; the woeful vocals add another level to this already down and depressing combination.
This is definitely one that should be on your 2012 lists people. Get at it.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by Boxcar Willy | 02.01.2013
Comments
Comments: 30
Visited by: 344 users
| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| Susan Smeghead Elite Posts: 6941  |
One of the best doom albums of the year, maybe even the best. I think those of us who did NOT hear the demo really love this and people who heard the demo do not. Too bad! Thanks for writing 
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311  |
I loved it, albums like this one raise my interest in doom music. And I didn't hear the demo as well, am I going to dislike it if I check it out? 
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by Unhealer on 02.01.2013 at 00:39 If you like Warning, then you'll probably like the demo:
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311 |
Written by [user id=4365] on 02.01.2013 at 00:41 Ahhhh, I get it now, the EP has some songs that were re-recorded for the LP. Yeah forget it, 95% of times this is done people are going to prefer the first version they listened to. That Gloomy Sunday version is really nice though.
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| Druss Posts: 277  |
I actually haven't heard the demo, but found the album to be a poorer version of Watching From A Distance or 40 Watt Sun, and didn't enjoy it as much as I could've from that contrast. Good review though, and I'll definately give the demo a listen.
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| D Posts: 23  |
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| Boxcar Willy REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Posts: 9217  |
Can't wait to pick this up on vinyl. I'm shaking in anticipation.
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| Nefarious Doom Knight Staff Posts: 5548  |
Seems I'm one of the few who heard the Demo first & still enjoyed this album. Although I freely admit the Demo did blow this out of the water & it is a little disappointing they didn't keep the same sound for their debut, it was still a very strong release that ranks highly as one of my favourite doom releases of 2012.
---- "FUCK!!! You're the fucking 5th person asking me in an interview about the woman in the bathtub?The problem is that I AM the fucking person in the bathtub, and I AM a fucking MAN, for fuck's sake! I hate you all!" ~ Herr Morbid
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835  |
I love this album. I didn't listen to the demo so I can't comment on that but this is very satisfying. And it grabbed me since the first listen, which is not common for a doom release.
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099  |
Haven't heard the demo myself but this album was extremely frustrating for me, "Devoid Of Redemption" is probably my favourite doom track from this year but the rest of the album doesn't come close to it. Most of it is outright boring for me unfortunately.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Probably one of the biggest disappointments of the year especially when you've heard the demo before this. Plus they left the best song on the demo off this one. And also the production stiffles this release A LOT
---- 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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| Draugen Posts: 501  |
This is without question my pick for the best doom metal album of last year. And no, I haven't heard the demo.
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| EdguyAsFuck Posts: 26 |
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| Dark Cornatus Powerslave Elite Posts: 4330  |
Written by [user id=4365] on 02.01.2013 at 00:41 The only major change i noticed was that the sound is at a lower frequency on the album, with the demo being a higher frequency. Overall, not a huge difference to me one sounds more beefy, one sounds more tinny - either way, it's the same good song to me. I love this album, it's right up there with my other favourites - it did take a few listens though.
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| Dark Cornatus Powerslave Elite Posts: 4330 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 02.01.2013 at 12:34 You must have fallen in love with the demo haha. I have had this happen before too, as someone said above, you fall in love with the version you hear first most of the time. I listened to Gloomy Sunday, and it's a good song, though i prefer the first two songs off the album over it. In regard to the production, i think the album works fine both ways. It's nowhere near as bad as 40 Watt Suns over-the-top distortion. I love that album, but the production took away a bit for me.
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| Dark Cornatus Powerslave Elite Posts: 4330 |
Written by [user id=4365] on 04.01.2013 at 00:44 Fair enough. I would agree with your point though, i just don't feel the change in production made the songs any better or worse (i've listened to them all both now). Niles new album is an example of poor production destroying the potentially good music. I simply cannot listen to it because of it. I guess the biggest benefit to the demo versions is the vocal atmosphere stands out a bit more, where the album version seems to focus on the bone crunching riffs.
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| Dark Cornatus Powerslave Elite Posts: 4330 |
Also, am i the only one who finds Foreigner to be the highlight? It has to be one of the best Doom songs i've ever heard.
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| Boxcar Willy REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Posts: 9217 |
Written by Dark Cornatus on 04.01.2013 at 03:10 Have to say it's my favourite. When the distorted guitars come in is an eargasm and a half.
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| Tornado Of Souls Posts: 64 |
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| IronAngel Posts: 4888  |
I thought this was a great album. It didn't hit me immediately, but it was a grower. The production and vocals could have been better, and it doesn't quite maintain the quality of its best tracks, but it's still a high 3,5/5 for me. But yeah: even if I didn't hear the demo beforehand, it's frustrating to feel this could have been better. Judging by their riffs and vocal melodies, they have the potential to become truly exceptional.
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| eViL tAiLs Posts: 15  |
This album is overrated. Not that good. Too much hype about it.
---- oNly fArTs R for reaL
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by eViL tAiLs on 07.01.2013 at 21:43 I actually agree with you. But will call the album good, although not great or as good as most people make it out to be.
---- 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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| Alex F Posts: 3521  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 07.01.2013 at 22:00 Every time I listen to it I love it, but then I go and listen to Gloomy Sunday and realize just how good Pallbearer can be and how this album does not display that good-"ness" fully
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Alex F on 08.01.2013 at 00:13 you got to remember that Gloomy Sunday is of course a cover and not a Pallbearer song proper 
---- 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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| Alex F Posts: 3521 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 08.01.2013 at 00:23 Of course I realize that, but yet it remains the song I enjoy most. Their ability to take a Billie Holiday song and turn it into what they did is rather impressive (not that the song was originally cherry or anything)
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18439  |
Written by Alex F on 08.01.2013 at 00:28 That's also a cover The song is even older than that. It was composed by Rezső Seress back in 1933 (her version is from 1941)...My favorite version will probably always be Diamanda Galas' version... A whole different level of desperation and grief.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Alex F Posts: 3521 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 08.01.2013 at 00:36 Now that I did not know. Listening to that Diamanda Galas version right now, it's absolutely beautiful.
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