Album Type : Full Length
Date Released : 24/2/2014
Label : Candlelight Records
Consolamentum,
album track listing :
1. Gnosis
2. Lost Bride
3. Elige Magistrum
4. Consolamentum
5. Space Conqueror
6. The Silence
7. Sacrifice
2. Lost Bride
3. Elige Magistrum
4. Consolamentum
5. Space Conqueror
6. The Silence
7. Sacrifice
The
Band :
Steve Mill |Guitars, Piano, Organ
Myke Heath | Drums
Alex Kearney |
Guitars
Sharie Neyland |
Vocals
Al Eliadis | Bass
Review
:
The
Wounded Kings return with their fourth full length. Once again, occult themes
appear with a very murky vibe throughout. This is doom metal with a sludge vibe
in there as well. Very dark, very weighty and very, very good.
The
vocals of Sharie Neyland don't appear until several minutes into “Gnosis” and
when they do, there is still two songs worth of most bands' playing time remaining
in the track! The pacing is excellent and it eases you into the album- which is
most definitely to be enjoyed as a total listening experience. I have had it on
non-stop over the last week on my daily (lengthy) commute and it has provided a
perfect soundtrack of foreboding and darkness (I don't like my job too much).
“The
Lost Bride Follows” with a creepy and insistent riff- classic doom in every
way, in fact. There is broadness to the instruments used which give the album,
breadth and depth. This is due, no doubt, to Steve Mills as he is a multi
instrumentalist and driving force behind the band.
“Elige
Magistrum” provides a short guitar led piece with soloing aplenty before the
epic title piece, “Consolamentum” fades in. Organ backs up tom work and a slow
burner of a riff. The track builds, sticking with a slow tempo. A sombre
acoustic section takes hold after the five minute mark that serves to take the
track into ever doomier passages.
“Space
Conquerer” is another bridge track, really, with drum work and acoustic guitars
setting a sinister mood and pace.“The Silence” goes for a slab of a riff right
from the off and then over its 12 minutes delivers dark grooves, solos and
atmospherics that have a distinctly English feel. “Sacrifice” is as dark as its title suggests.
The
guitars are positively funereal in their approach as a fitting coda is played
by the band. Overall the record sums up a lot of what is best about
English/British doom. Sinister atmosphere, occult/fantasy themes, wistfulness
and sorrow all combine to give a very complete record that no enthusiast of the
doom genre should be without.
Words by : Richard Maw
