shEver - 'Rituals' (Album Review)

By: Seb Bismuth

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 12/5/2012

Label: Total Rust

 

The Doom/death music scene is growing up everyday, seeing new talent arriving from all around the world and shEver, is one of these band.  They are doing something that we have already heard on many Doom albums in the past? No, shEver rejuvenate the genre and give here one of the must have records of this year.

‘Rituals’ CD/DD track Listing:

1. Rituals of Chaos
2. Delirio
3. Je Suis Née
4. Souls Colliding
5. (You Are) The Mirror
6. Tha He Na Te

shEver is:

Alex | eve-ill brutal screaming & voice

Jessica | down-tuned heavy riffing & voice

Nadine | drone-doom bass, infernal growls & violin

Sarah | doomed drums

The Review:

Coming from the beautiful landscapes of Switzerland, shEver is not really a newcomer in the Doom/death Scene.  The band has even earned the respect from many big festivals including the Roadburn thanks to their first album and EP's.  So, one of the first main characteristic of this band is that all the members are women :)  But please, forget all your narrow-minded ideas or old clichés, because sheVer can bury many men's bands.

Let's talk about the music, dark, heavy and by the way DOOOOMy as hell.

shEver really knows its subject and they will prove it in these 6 tracks. The album begins with "Ritual Of Chaos", a really representative song of what is gonna smash you in the face during the following tracks.  The song begins with some arpeggios that directly put you in a state of gloom... and "then comes dinner" dark ambiences, muddy Riffs, and what a sound! Alexandra's vocals are really impressive, sometimes going from growls to clean. She does one of the best vocals I've heard of this kind of Doom/Death release.  The second part of the song comes with an apocalyptic doom riff with an incredible atmosphere reminding me of NEUROSIS.  Don't get me wrong, shEver never really sound like another band and they have found their own sound and style, going from Doom Metal to Death Metal with a kind of Pagan spirit there.  I don't know if shEver have already listened to CELTIC FROST (another famous band from Switzerland), but there is in their music this kind of fantasmagoric atmosphere ... maybe coming from their celtic blood :)

"Rituals" is one of those albums that will not only put cool dark riffs in your ears..... But will transport you into the album.  "Delirio" the second track of the album is another great proof of this and as soon as the first note enters, the sound of the thick bass will put you down.  Playing with the effective recipe of melting dark arpeggios, with mystic whisperings and sludgy bass & drums, shEver have created here a kind of Manual Of Darkness.... turning everything from light to dark."Je suis Nee" is surely one of my favourite tracks. There is here something that every fan of Dark Ambiences will love.  Think about YOB, meeting My Dying Bride and Electric Wizard and you'll have surely one of the best Doom/Death tracks of the year

Doin' a track by track review would be crazy as there is really not any weak songs on this album.  Each track is a kind of chapter in a Book of Occult, they all deal with the same theme but show you a different side of it, track after track.  shEver has without a doubt put the best of themselves in these 6 tracks and this new release will surely help them to conquer some new fans across the world.  Only excellent musicians with a perfect knowledge of the Doom/Death genre can release killer songs as "Tha He Na Te", "Delirio" or "Je suis Née". 

The Doom/death music scene is growing up everyday, seeing new talent arriving from all around the world and shEver, is one of these band.  They are doing something that we have already heard on many Doom albums in the past? No, shEver rejuvenate the genre and give here one of the must have records of this year.

Band info: Facebook | Bandcamp