Narrow House - Thanathonaut - review
Narrow House - Thanathonaut - review
Tracklist
01. Crossroads02. The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life
03. Furious Thoughts Of Tranquility
04. The Midwife To Sorrows
05. Thanathonaut
06. A Sad Scream Of Silver
07. Crushing The Old Empire
08. The Last Retreat
09. Doom Over Valiria
10. Возрождение [Virgin Black cover]
A review by
BitterCOld November 11, 2014
However the band was coming off the really fantastic A Key To Panngrieb - an album that cracked my top 10 of a 2012 that was chock full o' awesome albums. Coming from an album simultaneously harsh and extremely interesting, the first several spins of Thanathonaut just seemed relatively straightforward and lacking in some of the wildcard factor that made A Key intriguing.
Sure, the album has (too much) saxamophone and lots of Hiroshima-related soundbytes, from serious to attempts at comedy, and other embellishments or short diversions. But the record itself just seems a relatively straightforward somber, trudging march.
The riffing is solid and the guitar sounds great, but it ultimately the straightforward trudging march, however great the guitar tone, just becomes monotonous. "A Midwife To Sorrows" perhaps breaks the mood, but only momentarily, before the title track steps in, with the trudging march vibe felt in earlier tracks oh so obviously reinforced as the opening is accompanied by the sound of 12 marchers marching.
You've likely noticed I've used the word "trudging" a lot already in this review, and unfortunately because of this trudgery I don't connect emotionally, either.
I really like the band, and this is a good release? if I come across as negative or disappointed, it's because even with a four month delay in an attempt to divorce myself from the initial feelings and inevitable comparison their prior effort, building a nice mental wall separating the two, I still find myself nonplussed.
If you're coming from the post-metal part of town, and aren't a big fan of what spinning in the treehouse of the Marcel Kool Kids Doom Klub, you're feelings for this might very well be a total reversal of mine. It seems, based upon user ratings, more prefer this, which is just fine.
Hooray subjectivity.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written on 11.11.2014 by
Written on 11.11.2014 by
BitterCOld has been officially reviewing albums for MetalStorm since 2009. Comments
Comments:
3
Visited by
96 users
 Posts: 6941 |
Posts: 6941
Aww I'm sorry you didn't like it as much as A Key To Panngrieb. I loved both so much! This evolution here really spoke to me and I thought the sax was used perfectly. A nice addition a la Evoke Thy Lords' use of flute. The mellow moments were a nice complement to the "trudging," for my taste. I'd rate it in the high 8s. Maybe they'll get you next time 
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
Loading...
|
| Posts: 15359 |
Posts: 15359 Written by Susan on 11.11.2014 at 03:33 Yeah, i can see where others would like this one equally or more. I'm still on something of a post burn out. The last album would have been a pretty difficult one to measure up to, at least from my perspective. Really wanted to like it as much as their last. Just never clicked. Glad others are really enjoying it.
---- 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!
Loading...
|
 Posts: 40071 |
Posts: 40071
What an immense disappointment this was. An enormous step down from their previous one.
---- 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 
Loading...
|
Hits total: 3839 | This month: 9