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Review: The Howling Void - Megaliths of the Abyss
The Howling Void
www.facebook.com/TheHowlingVoid
Megaliths of the Abyss

Label: Black Plague Records
Year released: 2008
Duration: 43:46
Tracks: 4
Genre: Funeral Doom

Rating:
4.25/5


Review online: July 28, 2008
Reviewed by: Michel Renaud
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 4.14/5 (82.86%) (7 Votes)
Review

The Howling Void.  Great name for a Funeral Doom band.  Megaliths of the Abyss is not the darkest or most depressing album of the genre I've heard, in fact at times it doesn't sound all that "funeral".  Most of the expected elements of the genre are here - very slow pace (and I do mean slow), no wanking, very low and agonizing Death Metal-like growls (very well done here, sounding just as depressing as the music), and an atmosphere that makes Seattle weather look happy in comparison. What gives this a not-so-depressing/dark sound is the use of some symphonic elements.  Not symphonic as in Power Metal or even some of the crappy symphonic Black Metal bands though.  Here these elements are definitely not overdone, rather discreet most of the time, keeping in line with the toned-down, slow pace of the music.  But want it or not, these symphonic parts do crank up a little here and there, sort of a light in the darkness of the overall album.  Not bad by any means, just different from what I've heard in the genre.

A number of sound effects (such as waterfalls) and acoustic parts can be heard, flowing flawlessly in and out of the more metallic parts - it just sounds "natural".  The drums are just as slow as everything else, sometimes barely noticeable but at times popping out of nowhere like a slow distant thunder.  No bad songs to be found here, and all of them flow together very nicely.  This is the kind of album that feels like a long song, but without ever getting boring.  Good stuff, if you're in the mood. ;)

More about The Howling Void...
Review: Into Darkness Ever More Profound (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Shadows Over the Cosmos (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: The Darkness at the Edge of Dawn (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
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