Band: Umor
Country: Zagreb, Croatia
Style: Doom Metal/Post-Rock
Label: Sonic Doom
I feel so bad for having this for months and not reviewing it. I just really haven't given it the time it deserves and at this point it's kind of like now or never for this thing. Doom metal with a twist, that's why I got this.
I have to admit that when I first heard this I was really shocked by how it sounded. This is not doom metal as it is usually done today, this is retro, but also modern sounding, weird to be honest. The sound of the production is clean and clear, but also very warm and open sounding, which really benefits the quieter and more post-rock elements of the album. Musically, this album, as above says, is basically doom metal with post-rock, but it's doom done in the 70s fashion. I hear sounds coming from bands like Black Sabbath, Black Widow, Candlemass, and other bands of that vein, it's very psychedelic. The vocalist brings a very old-school singing approach to this album, which really fit the smokey and psychedelic vibe I was feeling throughout this album.
I would not call this a progressive album, though psychedelic in nature, it certainly isn't near that realm. Sure, you can definitely tell these guys have listened to their fare share of Pink Floyd and maybe even Hawkwind albums in their day, but it's not progressive in the modern sense of overly long instrumental masturbation. I mention the likes of Floyd and Hawkwind because this band manages to capture something very few prog-rock/metal bands seem to do, these songs take the listener on a journey. While tracks like Silent Key - The Sign are obviously going to go places within eighteen minutes, but even shorter tracks like One does that.
From first listen onward this was a record that just took me to new realms of psychedelia that I haven't really gone with modern bands. Definitely an old-school vibe, but don't let that fool you into thinking that this is a retro band, cause it's not a rip-off. Definitely check this out if you like psychedelic rock, post-rock, sludge metal, or doom metal.
Overall Score: 8.5
Highlights: Mountains of The Wolf, Exposure
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