Forgotten Tomb - Nightfloating
This one kind of hit me out of nowhere. I knew the name Forgotten Tomb, but for much of their career, the band has waded in oblique DSBM waters. On the off-chance that you aren't a metal egghead, DSBM stands for "depressive/suicidal black metal." It's a quaint niche. While I do prefer melancholic music, this stuff has always been too repetitive for my liking. There are exceptions, especially if you consider this to be a DSBM record. I don't. To my ears, this is blackened doom. The kicker? Stacks and stacks of lead guitars. I love the harmonies that crop up in "A Chill That You Can't Taint," which is probably my recommendation pick. You should also check out "Unsafe Spaces" and the title track. I have a feeling that Nightfloating will appear on my year-end list. I don't even mind the dungeon synth instrumental.
Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down
So here's a qualifier. This is a great album, but because this column is supposed to chronicle whatever I've been spinning lately, I could have easily chosen just about any Katatonia album. Discouraged Ones and Tonight's Decision are currently in the car, and they aren't my favorites. That would be Dead End Kings. Or Night is the New Day. Point is, Katatonia is becoming one of my top bands overall. As for Last Fair Deal, this is where they seemed to gain confidence in their chosen direction. Aside from The Gathering, who else managed to recover from abandoning their roots in extreme metal? They found their footing as songwriters. Of course, they can still dish out a mean riff, as evidenced by "Chrome" and "Clean Today." They strike a lovely balance between melody and aggression. Y'know, like Yanni.
While it may not be my favorite platter of Katatonia crumbs (check the liner notes for information on serving size per container), it's definitely my favorite pre-The Great Cold Distance. Today anyway.
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