Band:	Megaton Leviathan
Album:	Past 21 Beyond The Arctic Cell
Style:	Drone doom metal
Release date:	September 09, 2014
A review by:	Doc G.

01. Past 21
02. The Foolish Man
03. Arctic Cell
04. Here Come The Tears

Have you ever been entranced by those nature films with no dialogue - just rolling landscape, panoramic shots? Dumb question - of course you have, everyone watches public access television at 3A.M. Have you ever thought to yourself "this is nice and hypnotic, but they really oughtta choose a better soundtrack?" Well folks, Megaton Leviathan is the perfect soundtrack.

Not just for any landscape, mind you. Pretty much exclusively for those aerial shots of the arctic tundra. It's cold, deep and desolate, and to focus too long leaves you in a catatonic state. That's Past 21 Beyond The Arctic Cell. A hypnotic drone-doom album with all the creepy riffs, spacey keyboards, cavernous drums, and underlying droning vocals you could ask for. Picture the bottomless drums from Ahab's Call Of The Wretched Sea, and put them underneath some Fields Of The Nephilim slowed down to a glacial pace.

It's a deceptively busy album. The layering and production is incredibly detailed, making the whole picture meld together perfectly. The keys and various surprise instruments, like violin and sitar, offer such a wide array of color which make Past 21... a really cinematic listen.

The problem with an album like this is, it's only good for as long as it can keep you in its trance-inducing grip. By the latter half of the album, any new, subtle details pretty much cease, losing its captivating appeal, thus its appeal in general. You've heard all the tricks, and as you start to come out of the haze, you're left with fourteen minutes of what is a pretty dry, boring album.

Megaton Leviathan have created something really easy to sink into with Past 21..., with future releases, it would be nice to hear something that will keep you sunk.