Release Date: September 27th 2024. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Formats: CD/DD
Days Of Oblivion - Track Listing:
Twisted Perceptions
Leave Banger
Faded Legacies
Days Of Oblivion
Lords Of Doom
Downfall Of Being
Lone Ruler
Members
Mitzschi (guitar(s)/bass)
Fabian (drums/vocals)
Review
Days Of Oblivion is the new album from Doom Metallers EPIC DOWN is what Black Sabbath would sound like if Peter Steele was their lead singer. As this is Doom Metal with a depressing style of emotionally charged angst that Type O Negative were masters at back in the day. The record is powered through down-tuned and distorted FUZZED DOOM passages with a sullen Industrial sound which is quite sludgy and unforgiving in places.
The production side of things is quite abstract and has an aggressive DIY based approach which allows EPIC DOWN to have a brooding presence to their music which becomes quite Sludge based with heavy industrialised beats airing on the right side of Drone/Ambient Metal experimentation that is used quite well within the opening tracks of Twisted Perceptions, Leave Banger and Faded Legacies.
Days Of Oblivion does have an unforgiving Post-Metal mentality with the clunking and thuggish guitars veering into a deft style of Progressive explorations that feels that EPIC DOWN are a much bigger band than the duo of Mitzschi and Fabian currently within their ranks. This is a Drums/Guitar DUO and Mitzschi’s guitars have a muscular presence around them which allows Fabian’s drumming to dive right into the thick of the musical action.
The record isn’t melodic as such but EPIC DOWN allow themselves to create their own blend of surreal Psychedelic instrumental movements along the way. Fabian’s vocals constantly remain within the theatre of Doom, Gothic, Occult Rock and Post-Punk surroundings. They can be quite experimental but if you're a fan of the more sullen style offered here then the album will resonate more emotionally with you like it did with me.
Days Of Oblivion works at it’s best when EPIC DOWN strip away their AMPLIFIER DISTORTED surroundings and venture further into the Gothic, Industrial and Post-Punk themes of their work which builds into heavier strands of Doom/Sludge Metal especially on tracks such as: Days Of Oblivion, Lords Of Doom and Lone Ruler. There's also some fantastic Ambient and Psychedelic interplay where EPIC DOWN show an aggressive and catchy style of COSMIC grooves on the later stages of the record.
Overall, EPIC DOWN have crafted a subversively different style of Doom Metal which blends the legendary mythos of BLACK SABBATH with the emotionally charged destructive energy of TYPE O NEGATIVE whilst exploring and building their own creative dominance within the whole album.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.
You can buy Days Of Oblivion via Argonauta Records from Friday 27th September 2024.
Links
https://epicdown.bandcamp.com/
