Totalselfhatred – Totalselfhatred

With members from prominent bands like Horna and Pest, Totalselfhatred have rained down from Finland in 2005 to bring depressive Black Doom with melodious guitars, vibrant bass lines, resounding drums and vocal melding to all. Now, but three years later, these moody fellows master the whole somber ambiance with the biting coldness of abandonment and anguish shtick on self-titled “Totalselfhatred”.

An echoing and light piano/guitar coupling travels through the soothing “Enlightenment” softly, gracefully contrasting the Black Metal screams and strong bass beats. The guitar parts are quite airy and the vague synthesizers are graciously not overpowering. “Sledgehammer Heart” consists of more dramatic heights as the drums and guitars seem to have more of a peal to them while the piano is rather hidden. On “Spirituelle Equilibrium” amazing and smooth clear vocals shine in the form of a low voice and a higher, more chorus-like tone still with crazed screams wavering between groans and raspy cries. The intense pulsating, intravenous instruments work very well with the melancholy atmosphere of “Totalselfhatred”. A change from the pretty repetitive flows, “Mighty Black Dimensions” and its blazing guitars play more in the black metal stream. Tracks are also becoming longer too, surpassing the seven minute mark. “Carving” is also superbly more black metal than the previous offerings and adds a nice volt to the ears as rougher feelings emerge in the end.

No overblown keyboarding resting upon depressive black doom chalking up a sedative lumbering with full bass-lines and strong production. “Totalselfhatred” is surprising for a debut full-length following behind one 3-song promo two years earlier. Amped up production doesn’t erase the raw atmosphere of “Totalselfhatred”, but does do a better job at showing off this band’s gleam. (Yulon Zhu)