Bled White

Author: Primož Novak

Artist: Novembers Doom
Label: The End Records
Release: year_month
Runtime: 1:08:21
Rating: 4/5

Chicago’s Novembers Doom have surprised us with every album so far. You could feel the progress on each record, even the ideas themselves sounded fresh, and when it comes to modern metal, they’ve been a byword for doom/death metal.

Three years after the well-received Aphotic, and 25 years after the band formed, Novembers Doom have dropped an album that’s full of surprises in its own way. They definitely stick to their trademark style, which leans on death metal elements in the vein of Bolt Thrower, Autopsy, early My Dying Bride and Katatonia too. There’s a real authenticity to it.

But Novembers Doom wouldn’t stand out if they didn’t have a tender side. The melodies are here, of course, along with the clean vocals and the odd ballad. That’s where Novembers Doom come closest to something like Opeth. Other doom/death metal bands like Daylight Dies, October Tide and others have followed the same pattern.

On Bled White, Novembers Doom decided to tweak their recipe a bit. This time the emphasis is more on the melodic side than the aggressive one. There are still plenty of hard-hitting tracks, where Paul Kuhr’s mighty growl stands out, backed up by equally heavy guitars and rhythm section. But if we’re talking pure brutality, it comes through best in Unrest and The Brave Pawn. The latter is actually tinged with black metal.

The attempt to crank up the melody doesn’t come off as a failure either. Quite the opposite. Paul Kuhr steps up with melodic choruses, and they haven’t forgotten about a ballad, either. This time the band serves up the morbid and at times drawn-out Just Breathe. The slower tracks are likewise dominated by singing vocals. The guitars have reached for melody too. Guitarist Larry Robers has a pretty good feel for soloing and melody. A great example is the solo in Clear. His melodies never come off as cheesy or forced. 

If you boil down what this album is about, Novembers Doom stay consistent, there’s nothing to complain about in the sound, the melodic side isn’t distracting, and the experimenting with clean vocals can be called a success. Occasionally it does grate that some songs run too long, and a bit of filler pops up too. An hour and eight minutes is sometimes too long for an album that lacks real dynamics.

After 25 years together and 9 albums, Novembers Doom can still surprise. This is a band that won’t stick to the same playbook as so many metal bands today. They’ll try something new, and that keeps their music fresh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRT41OcaAy0

Lineup

Paul Kuhr – vocals

Larry Roberts – guitar, vocals

Vito Marchese – guitar

Mike Feldman – bass

Garry Naples – drums

Production

Chris Wisco, Dan Swanö (mixing)

Tracklist