• Dresden/Leningrad - Vader (2012)

     

    Dresden/Leningrad are not only two of the most beautiful cities in the world but it's also the name of a new Doom Metal band hailing from the Netherlands. The three young men just released their first EP and deliver four convincing tracks on it which one can witness on their official Bandcamp site.

    The intriguing cover artwork already shows us what this band is about. The red and black colours stand for the dark vibe of this release. The artwork looks psychedelic just like the music, features a black stanic cross standing for the lyrical topic of death while the skeleton portrays the lyrical topic of death at first sight and the uniform he is wearing is a reference to the lyrical topic of war that is also very present on here. The two flying birds could stand for the floating and sometimes even dreamy atmosphere on this release. Let's be more precise and take a look on the first four songs of this band.

    "Vader" has very dark and destructive atmosphere and already introduces us to the essence of this new band. The track kicks off with the wailing of sirens and rain falling from the sky before slow and very heavy riffs kick in. The distorted sound effects and the intriguing poetic lyrics performed by narrative vocals in Dutch add an even more atmospheric note to the song that manages to create many images on the listener's mind. The band shows its high amount of creativity on this first promising song that makes you want to hear more.

    "Herder" is a calmer and more appeasing track with catchy melodic vocals even though it starts with a dark bass vibe and psychedelic sound effects. The track also has many distorted guitar sounds and multiple effects that create an eerie and progressive atmosphere.

    "Slaap" is a little bit heavier and more metal orientated than the other tracks that had a more psychedelic old school vibe. The influence of Black Sabbath and similar bands becomes evident on here. This song has a very hypnotizing atmosphere as the other ones but especially the drum play is much heavier on here. The psychedelic vocals send shivers down my spine and give the track a very suffering and uneasy touch.

    The closing "Niemandsland" has slight dystopian touches that even remind me of Voivod or Vektor from time to time. The slow and eerie vocals are once again very touching while the sound samples from war battles put the listener just in the right mood. Despite a running time of over ten minutes, this song never gets too boring and has a very consistent atmosphere and a solid suspense development.

    These four excellent songs really leave me wanting more. Fans of dark psychedelic rock, stoner rock, doom metal or anybody who is fascinated by the history of war could give this release a fair try. Until now, I would choose this record as the best doom metal release of the year. Let's hope these guys carry on and release a full length album anytime soon.

     

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