Embracing darkness - A review of Deathwhite's Grave Image

Deathwhite is an obscure American gothic doom metal trio in the key of Katatonia, The Foreshadowing and The Old Dead Tree. The group's second output Grave Image does its spooky album cover justice. Fragile guitar harmonies meet sinister bass tones and sluggish drum and percussive patterns. Occasional minimal keyboard sounds enhance the atmospheric vibes. The tender, sorrowful and melodious vocals blend in perfectly. The dreamy and depressive soundscapes take the listener on an inspiring and emotive ride.

The band adds enough diversity to keep the album intriguing through ten songs and a running time of forty-nine minutes. That doesn't mean that the band experiments or offers any memorable passages but the group regularly transitions from slow and heavy passages to energetic and fast outbursts with ease. This is best accomplished in the extraordinary album closer ''Return to Silence''.

Immerse yourself in the atmospheric depths and emotional variations of skillfully executed doom metal with a gothic soul. Sit down alone in the dark, pour yourself a glass of your favourite type of alcohol, close your eyes and enjoy those ten bleak tunes to the fullest. Deathwhite's Grave Image isn't the type of record you should listen to three times a day but it works splendidly if you are in the right melancholic, philosophical and thoughtful mood for it.

Final rating: 80%