Release Date: November 22nd 2024. Record Label: Timezone Records. Formats: CD/DD
Mirrors - Track Listing:
1.The Hole in the Wall 04:35
2.Infernal 07:06
3.Enigma 05:11
4.Nachtmahr 06:38
5.Oneironaut 08:25
6.Dogma 05:54
7.Elysion 06:08
8.The Hangman 08:23
Members
Carsten Schmitt – Guitar, vocals Jan Kurtze – Bass Phil Röttgers – Drums
Review
Stoner Metallers PARIAHLORD return with their new album Mirrors and the record has quite an uncompromising and abrasive quality with brutally honest lyrics that you don’t initially expect. The album is quite progressive and superbly melodic with a slight Alternative sound that operates with a rough and ready determination which makes Mirrors quite a thrilling album to listen to.
Opening track The Hole In The Wall is a semi-acoustic style of Doom, Americana, Alt Rock, Indie and Stoner Rock melodies. This was quite an unexpected album to open the album with as this feels more like a closing track than a traditional opener but it allows the listener to “expect the unexpected” with Mirrors. The song is superbly played and well put together but it’s not the strongest track on the album but that all changes for the better with the next batch of tracks.
The second song Infernal feels like the “TRUE OPENER” of Mirrors with a powerful blend of Stoner Rock, Punk Rock and Prog Rock sensibilities which is merged with Post-Doom qualities. The vocals and lyrics have an almost Post-Punk and Gothic narrative around them. The instrumental sounds can be quite SLUDGE obsessed on the later stages with an aggressive sound that transforms into a more atmospheric style of music with cool instrumental solos along the way.
Third song Enigma opens with a Proggish Post-Metal guitar solo which soon transforms into a more dynamic Stoner Metal sound with the music becoming faster along the way. There is an industrial and Post-Punk vibe appearing once again within the vocals but the record still retains its Doom/Stoner appetite with flashes of abrasive Psychedelic melodies. The production of the record has a minimalistic feeling and this track is the best example where the “LESS IS MORE” delivery allows PARIAHLORD to play a muscular style of music that is wonderfully dark and surreal at times.
The next two tracks of Nachtmahr and Oneironaut are the standout sections of the whole album with PARIAHLORD playing the most riff-centric parts of the album which moves across the Doom/Stoner Rock platform with waves of Psych, Ambient and Alt Rock. With a seedy Grungy attitude appearing within Nachtmahr, the lyrics are quite poetic which can be quite hard to categorize at times. These two tracks have a great balance of LIGHT vs DARK moments which is built up by SLOW and FAST PACED instrumental sections that fuses different styles of music with intense creativity.
The final section of the album is perhaps the DOOMIEST, GLOOMIEST and HEAVIEST parts of Mirrors and where folks will like the most. PARIAHLORD experiment once again throughout Dogma, Elysion and The Hangman with an intelligent Progressive sensibility being the main driving force for PARIAHLORD to deliver their music with.
Mirrors is quite a challenging record to listen to but that’s one of the main strengths of the album with PARIAHLORD delivering quite a wonderfully weird, daring and original album that could become a CULT FAVOURITE within the underground scene within time.
I can’t recommend Mirrors highly enough and recommend you listen to this great album as quickly as possible.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
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