Band:	Apostate
Album:	Time Of Terror
Style:	Death doom metal
Release date:	March 02, 2015
A review by:	Susan

01. Solar Misconception
02. Pale Reflection
03. Pain Served Slow
04. Memory Eclipse
05. World Undying

Apostate is "Ukraine's oldest doom band," having formed in 1993. They released only a memorable demo and EP, split in 1998, then re-formed over a decade later and released a debut full-length in 2010, now followed by this sophomore album. Well, they didn't exactly re-form: the bandleader Alexander Kostko came together with a new group of musicians and called it Apostate. You decide if it's the same band or not but one thing is consistent: primarily the same group of musicians has recorded and released both of Apostate's full-lengths thus far.

And what is their result?

The beauty in Time Of Terror's death doom is soul-crushing. Today, "beauty" is not synonymous with "pretty," not by a long shot. A rough, clawed hand takes hold of your imprisoned heart and squeezes it until, though the pain, you weep tears of joy. That is what "beauty" means today. And it doesn't easily let up. The repetitive nature of this music serves it mightily and songs like "Pain Served Slow" allow for a huge amount of contemplation. The repetition doesn't always lead toward an outward musical build-up, though the emotion seems to escalate; the build-up is within you.

Vocals can get a bit too "Cookie Monster" for my tastes, but nonetheless they do a great job of supporting the music. They're never too in-your-face, and sometimes surface into more yelled vocals, which suits my ear, personally, and may provide a nice change of pace for others. Yes, there are also several ominous English-language film clips played throughout this record and while I just hate such things, this is one of those instances where it's done well, supports the atmosphere, and is not an impediment to the music. I'd go so far as to say these moments are quite cool.

Time Of Terror, despite its name, is joyously simple and certainly welcoming, both to seasoned doomsters and to the curious among us who want to explore the darkness. The replay value is huge, doubly so if the listener enjoys a soundtrack to thoughtful introspection.

Just when the second half of the album is feeling too trudgey to push on, we're given a glimpse of up-tempo doom part way through "World Undying." While this passage slows back down as quickly as it began, our attention is captured and the guitars pick up the focus, while another doomsday film clip plays in the background. In fact, the music stays interesting right to the end with this purposeful and effective closing track.

Preview the track "Pain Served Slow" at Bandcamp. Time Of Terror is released March 2nd via Ferrum.