Info
- Band(s): Asphodelus
- Label(s): Hammerheart Records
- Release Format(s): 12" vinyl, CD
- Release Year: 2023
- Review Date: January 17, 2024
- Author(s): FelixS
It were those enchanting mid-90s when so many bands left their extremes to broaden their horizons, push musical boundaries and, to put it simply, shun the beaten path and let their creativity run wild. Okay, not everything that was written in those days could be called equally successful, but new history was made and it yielded fantastic ground-breaking records. Bands like Tiamat, Moonspell, Katatonia, Rotting Christ, Samael, Amorphis, Anathema, Sentenced, Paradise Lost and The Gathering injected new blood into their music from various directions. Today, it is hard to imagine how different metal, as a musical phenomenon, would sound without albums like ‘Wild Honey’, ‘Draconian Times’ or ‘Mandylion’. Their enriching influence is still audible in the many releases we have to deal with every week.
It is against that musical landscape that I listen to Finnish Asphodelus’ ‘Sculpting From Time’. Asphodelus is a band that has turned into just such a shape-shifting entity like many of the stalwarts of that thriving 90’s metal scene. Asphodelus started as Cemetery Fog with a deep and dark sounding Death/Doom sound as their core, but changed their name and musical recipe in 2016 and eventually moved into such volatile territories that brings forth this second album. To those who heard their 2016 ‘Dying Beauty & the Silent Sky’ 12” EP (also Iron Bonehead Productions) or the band’s debut album ‘Stygian Dreams’ (Terror From Hell, 2019) already noticed the change of their musical path. However, those who closely listened to the band’s earlier outputs already sensed the first hints of that melancholy nature that they would develop into the mesmerizing beauty that they portray on ‘Sculpting From Time’.
Basically, this new album is yet another huge leap forward in their pursuit of forging anything dark and beautiful. ‘Stygian Sky’ was already a more than impressive debut, but the Finns definitely outdid themselves on this sophomore effort. While being progressive and creative, it does not really sound like Edge Of Sanity and although the band obviously incorporated more dark, goth-elements into their music, it is no Katatonia. Instead the music turned into a fully-charged emotional ride through that 90’s musical landscape. The death metal content has been pushed back even further here, only popping up in elemental form here and there, in return we are treated to many heartfelt and mournful melodies, a wide range of vocals (whispers, growls, screams, female choirs and clean vocals). A creative and adventurous palette that allows the band to paint an impressive musical gem, and frankly, one of real monumental measures.
The masterfully crafted songs are beyond any doubt the best the band has ever presented, but the biggest achievement lies in the fact that the album sounds so warm and familiar, it works like a DeLorean taking you to times long gone. It does not sound like a direct copy of anything in particular, it feels like a trip down memory lane and Asphodelus presents it in the most deeply emotional and authentic way. If you have a weak spot for bands like Enchantment, Celestial Season, Phlebotomized, Children Of A Lesser God, The Blood Divine or Whispering Gallery, you should definitely do yourself a favour and get a copy of ‘Sculpting From Time’. This is a 90’s doomy metal masterclass.
Asphodelus
- Country: Finland
- Style: Doom Metal, Death Metal
- Links: Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp
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Hammerheart Records
- Country: Netherlands
- Style: Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, Other
- Links: Homepage, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Youtube
