Friday, June 1, 2012

The Foreshadowing - Second World [2012]


Gothic doom metal albums often fall into a safe lull of mediocrity, never really excelling or overtly failing at what they do. The formula is simple: apply simple but effective riffing, a guitar tone that straddles the line between accessible clarity and distortion, some formulaic A-B songwriting, and an "emotional" low-range vocalist (or if you want to get really stereotypical, a male/female vocal hybrid), and you're basically done. The Foreshadowing, a relatively newer group of this sort, isn't exactly reinventing the wheel here with its third offering. However, while Second World features many of the predictable traits listed above, it delivers them with a quality far above the norm and an appropriately otherworldly atmosphere without forgetting to compose some (but not all) great songs in the process. Thus, a must-have for fans of the genre has officially been bestowed upon us.

The most notable point of interest is the excellent sound at play here. Second World depicts its apocalyptic overtones in every forlorn, desperate note. The multi-layered tracks often dwell in a haze of ambiguity, as if the sun is just coming over the horizon and the world is stuck in limbo as the silhouetted figures (zombies? warlords? emaciated survivors?) stare beyond the screen with unseen eyes... okay, so maybe I'm taking the cover art a bit too literally, but it is particularly sweet and does portray the all-consuming mood of the record very well. One is subjected to a well of conflicting emotions here: the dreary sense of loss, the convincing hope that vitality will be restored, the universal fear of death, and the pathos of rage are all explored here in opulent quantities. And who better to explore such realms of thought than the amazing Marco Benevento, whose romantic and moving voice could sell out a stadium for a mere reading of a dictionary? Seriously, this guy would make the album even if the atmosphere didn't.

The one factor that just barely restricts Second World from masterpiece status is the occasionally repetitive and unimaginative songwriting style. Don't get me wrong; there are still plenty of catchy tracks and excellent melodies here, but some more variation could have gone a long way toward letting this one compete with the greatest greats of the genre. With that said, the majority of the record is made up of winners. "Havoc" builds the silkiest verse rhythm of the album right out the starting gate, with Marco's similarly rich voice gliding effortlessly above. The title track delivers a desolate and beautiful musical portrait and one of the best choruses on the album. Of all the tracks, "Ground Zero" has the most classically driven bombast, forging a sound most reflective of classic Gothic metal sounds. It's also memorable as all hell. "Colonies" escalates in tension and emotion, and "Friends of Pain" closes it all out with a dreary, miserable, and slow display of despair.

The only thing really missing from The Forshadowing is a bevy of noticeable emotional highs or lows. Thus, a few of the tracks fail to make much of an impact. All in all, however, Second World succeeds thanks to the excellent vocals and a mystery-provoking atmosphere. Add in highlights like "Ground Zero" or "Colonies" and you've got quite the hit on your hands, easily the best entry of this genre I've yet heard this year. Fans of the style are encouraged to pick it up, but those less tested should probably try it on before buying. This is certainly one to revisit during winter, curled up by the fireplace with a cup of coffee and The Foreshadowing's velveteen music simmering through the air. I'm not sure which element would be the most successful warming agent.

   Overall: 8/10 (Great)

No comments:

Post a Comment