Thorn is a very prolific one-man death doom project. Since their inception in 2020, Thorn have released one EP, contributed to four split releases (of which the split titled Absolute Convergence featured in the "Jul-Dec 2022" issue of Metal Storm's Splitting Hairs / Hearing Splits series), and now three full-length albums. The style of death doom employed by Thorn is of the vile and slimy kind. Blurring the lines between death doom and doom death, Evergloom presents unapologetic, sludgy heaviness in the vein of Eternal Rot and 71TONMAN (the latter also being signed to Transcending Obscurity Records).
Besides the bludgeoning riffs, the vocals on Evergloom are also quite entertaining, providing a mix of classic death doom growls and deathgrind-ish rasps. As one can perhaps already guess from the beautifully illustrated cover art, the album provides the cavernous, suffocating experience that all death doom fans enjoy. The man behind the project, Brennen Westermeyer, has certainly mastered this impressively heavy sound. The songwriting, however, is far less appealing.
Despite having a total runtime of only about 36 minutes, the ten tracks make the album seem to go on for longer than necessary. The crushing slog of death doom is impressive and enjoyable in small doses. Unfortunately, the lack of variation in musical style makes Evergloom a rather tedious experience and, over a longer period of time, a chore to listen to. The lead guitar melodies strewn throughout the songs add an eerie flair that serves as a nice contrast to the otherwise oppressive atmosphere. But, while these unnerving hymns are a clear highlight, I don't believe that they alone can save the album. Overall, there's not much to distinguish the ten songs from one another, which, in the end, results in a rather unremarkable experience.
In conclusion, while Evergloom's songs are entertaining in small amounts, the album as a whole can grow quite tiresome. Thorn have succeeded with their menacing performance and the stifling production, but they need something more to thoroughly grab the listener's attention.
Trypophobia, maybe?
