Whispering Tears - Carmina Lacrimosa (2001)

Genre: Atmospheric Death Metal
Country: France
Year: 2001

1. Carmen Lacrimae
2. Whispering Tears
3. E(vil)charistia
4. Complainte of the Ames Écorchées
5. My Beloved Corpse
6. Until Death Do Us Unite
7. The Dark Hours
8. Die Versuchung Der Tranen (The Temptation of the Tears)

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There's something about France. I dunno, those pompous bastards seem to think they're better than everybody else, and this album is no exception! Not to say that's a bad thing at all, of course. Bordering more on the symphonic side, Whispering Tears's debut has a sophisticated and deliberated air about it, very majestic and almost, dare I say, beautiful? However, in stark contrast, the guitars are mainly jagged and crunchy, relying heavily on tremolo picking, while bizarre acoustics saturate the background, with myriad instruments all finding a place in this interesting album. There's occasional synthesizer use, as well as melancholic clean vocals mixed side by side with harsh growls to further mold that atmosphere of intrigue. Most of the songs are relatively long in length (the longest at eight minutes), giving this release a progressive and winding structure. The album finishes off with what appears to be a tribute to Mozart, "The Temptation of Tears".

Nyarlathotep - Slub Lorth in Eternal Rest (2001)

Note: Artwork unavailable

Genre: Funeral Doom/Death Metal
Country: USA
Year: 2001

1. An Empire Destined To Crumble
2. Birth of Gol

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Very little is known about Nyarlathotep, except that it was a side project of the fellows from The Red Chord and that they changed their name to Stomach Earth.

However, they managed to release a two-song demo back in 2001, and my socks were blown off at first listen. Playing Funeral Death/Doom in the vein of greats such as Evoken and Catacombs, this is a real treat on the ears. Often utilizing keyboards, I get the overwhelming sense of impending doom and that the walls of my sanity are collapsing beneath me. Fantastic atmosphere, and a really gripping release, all the way through, even though their style of music is painfully slow-paced. The first track is a little more orthodox in the style, rarely incorporating strange elements, but then the second song knocks down all boundaries and all hell breaks loose. Keyboards come out blazing from the very beginning, and the deep guttural vocals just rip you to shreds. Then, a little more than halfway into the song, some crazy Avant-Garde shit is employed and you start wondering where the hell this is going next! I even heard a violin and a flute. Bizarre stuff, but totally up my alley. Tremendous and highly recommended. I could see myself listening to this over and over again.

Deteriorot - In Ancient Beliefs (2001)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: USA
Year: 2001

1. In Ancient Beliefs
2. Unholy Return
3. The Afterlife
4. Fallen Misery
5. Spiritual Evocation
6. Endless Hauntings of Demons and Despair
7. Eternal Darkness
8. Manifested Apparitions of Unholy Spirits
9. Ritual Ceremonies of Blasphemous Horrors
10. Vile

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Metal Archives Rating: 100% (1 review)
Last.fm

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Having formed in 1990, and after a boatload of demos, Deteriorot finally managed to churn out a full-length in 2001. Personally, I'm glad they waited, because with all that time, they certainly managed to craft a flawless hunk of Death Metal. Skirting more on the doom side of things, this album is unique in that while it's not overly heavy like Incantation or Dominus Xul, the way it's performed and how the riffs make this album seem much heavier and crushing than it actually is. The riffs are very clear and you can feel the "oomph" behind each and every one of them. Nothing gets lost in the mix and tremendous atmosphere is generated to really make this release stand out.

The vocals are also very fascinating. I haven't heard much like these before. They are not your typical heavy, gutturals or roaring screams. It's hard to describe, but it seems like the guy here has a certain pitch to his growls, making them sound more demonic and engaging. The guy also sounds really pissed off, which helps to add to the atmosphere. Recommended!