Imindain released their second demo a year prior to And The Living Shall Envy The Dead. The reason why I chose to review the demo instead of the full-length is because I prefer the somewhat rawer sound the demo has. Monolithium consits of three tracks. All tracks are also featured on the debut album. Now, Imindain are immediately the proof that to achieve a sick sound, you don't have to have a minimalistic or repetitive nature. Monolithium is quite melodious and relatively accessible. Vocally we have no less than four approaches. You will hear standard grunts and blackish screams both are executed very well. Now, the special thing about Imindain are the two other vocal styles. The cleaner ones are superb and it's amazing to find a vocalist in this kind of extreme doom that has such a good voice. Tastefully added are the super high screams. You will hear them seldomly, but that is a good thing, because in that way the effect they are supposed to create remains special. Now, as you might expect these sound quite insane and well...sick.
Monolithium is most of the time mid-paced with some speedier parts to be found here and there, as well as fairly headbangable moments woven into the anguish and gloom. This Empty Flesh starts just like that, up-tempo with clean vocals and generally solid memorable riffing. The first half of the song continues in the same fashion, some small differences in paste and good riffs that will linger in your head for quite some time. Some time in the second half of the song, things take a grim turn, as a melanholic clean breaks presents itself with anguished screams in the background. It sounds like this might be the climax to which the song builds, but you are mistaken. A gripping guitar lead comes into play when the most foul, anguished and insane screaming ever heard is coming from all sides in the background. Absolutely amazing! Black Water features great militaristic drumming and again top-notch vocal performances. A great, saddening riff enters the mix at around one minute, surely one of the headlights of Black Water, while again the venomous vocals spring forward. Towards the middle of the song you'll hear dual vocal action of the standard screams and the higher ones, followed again by a militaristic drumming style. Imindain have continued with their high quality doom on their debut. I urge everyone to purchase that one and be on the look out for the coming split with Ataraxie!
In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend is a monumental chapter of doom and a lone highlight in the musical career of the Reverend. This is a mammoth of an album, that most of the times crawls forwards in a slow to extremely slow paste, almost funereal in its execution. The absolute focal point of Reverend Bizarre remains Albert - the man has a throat like no other and has an incredible range, going from softer more mellow parts to complete epicness in just a matter of time. His voice fits the music completely and takes it to unseen heights. I especially liked his vocal performance during Doomsower. But, of course, a good album needs more than just a really good vocalist. First of all, the drums, Earl of Void is a very competent drummer, his play is slow and crushing, that seldomly speeds up. The riffs are, however, what truly make this record a future classic - just listen to In the Rectory, a perfect build-up leads to more up-tempo part, where we see the guys rocking out, accompanied by a memorable riff evoking a rare moment of cheerfulness amidst the gloomy setting, but then, as a real tsunami, all joy is washed away, the rare moment of hope has completely faded and we're given one of the most memorable moments of the album, a very moving riff, sets the beginning for a short, but absolute haunting passage. Really, simply those couple of minutes alone, are reason enough to buy this album. It's difficult to put to into words, how it makes you feel, I can only suggest you give it a listen yourself.
Next to the excellent riffing, In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend, is a highly bass-driven album, again a reference has to be made to In The Rectory, specifically to it's intro, but just the entire song does justice to the earth-shattering bass-lines. So far i've only been talking about In The Rectory, which only makes up for roughly 13 minutes of this album, while In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend has a play-time of almost 75 minutes and each minute is equally memorable as In The Rectory, wether it be the touching, saddening The Hour of Death or the hate-filled Burn In Hell and lets not forget the gigantic monster Cirith Ungol. In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend is an album that is consisent throughout, something which has been a bit of a problem for the Rev during their entire career. While the follow-up was by no means bad, it couldn't reach the same level of the debut. After that Reverend Bizarre quickly declined in quality and began releasing a lot of filler material with some occassional highlights, but moreover the material became inconsistent and too ambitious for it's own good. People who were amazed with Warning's second album, released and praised in 2007, might find solace with In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend, although they are two seperate entities, they both manage to create a true, unsurpassed, blackness, that will crush even the most enduring souls out there! A good alternative for the now defunct Reverend Bizarre would be finnish Fall of the Idols, who have already beaten the Rev at their own game or British band The River, who released a superheavy doom album with Drawing Down The Sun that should definitely appeal to Rev supporters. In The Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend remains one of the best doom metal albums out there and a personal favorite. BUY IT NOW!
