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In a relatively short space of time, Nomad Son have gone from Doom Metal upstarts to veritable titans of the genre. If there’s anyone left to be ensnared by the band’s music, this album (their third) should do the trick.
“The Darkening” kicks off with pedal to the Metal – no fancy intros but a Doom that is heavy, brash and a portent of the album’s musical direction. Nomad Son’s take on Doom is still recognisable: a Hammond-soaked traditional Doom full of memorable riffs and powerful vocals. However this album seems to wring the band’s sound for all its heaviness to a point where the music sometimes ventures tantalisingly close to Thrash.
In a way I miss the sweeping crescendos and scorching guitar solos of the band’s first full-length (“First Light” of 2008) but the thing with “The Darkening” is that it has a very specific ambience. Besides leaning on the heavier side of Doom, the album is distinctively dark…very dark in fact. Consequentially its organic disposition is the strongest Nomad Son have ever created. Indeed the album’s title seems highly appropriate and bears a curious contrast to the title of the first album. The lyrics have lots of Biblical references as well as references from other archaic texts and while I won’t give too much away, I will say that there’s a subtle rationale in the tracks’ chronology.
Vocalist Jordan Cutajar sounds less animated than in the band’s previous 2 albums but I do get the impression that he is trying to expand his range and capabilities. As far as I’m concerned he’s amongst the best Doom singers on the current scene. (Think of a harsh-sounding Eric Wagner…..that’d be Jordan.)
The tracks which impressed me most…..in ‘Age Of Contempt’ the way the riffs, Hammond and vocals interact is so powerful it’s scary. ‘The Devil’s Banquet’ is heavy even when the tempo is slow. Album closer ‘Epilogue’ is the only mellow offering of the album – a brief, melancholic and soothing instrumental prevalently consisting of acoustic guitars arpeggios and keyboards.
It’s curious how moths are attracted by the light of a flame and yet “The Darkening” manages to be a compelling experience centred on bleakness. Get it or be doomed! | ||||||||||||||||||
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