Novembers Doom – Hamartia

This review is dedicated to all metalhead fathers out there. Bear with me and learn why!

Novembers Doom is one of the most important doom-death bands from USA, hailing from Chicago. While they’ve been releasing quality content since 1995, in Europe they seem to be heavily overshadowed by the Peaceville classics. I first came across them after their release of The Pale Haunt Departure in 2005, particularly after listening to Autumn Reflection. And it was then that I learned that doom-death lyrics do not have to always be about some abstract sorrowful battle between the self and a higher power, but really something more personal and powerful, such as fatherhood. While not a central concept in the band’s repertoire, each following album has had a song relating to this topic: Twilight Innocence (from The Novella Reservoir), What Could Have Been (from Aphotic), Just Breathe (from Bled White). This is an interesting journey within the deepest, darkest fears of front-man Paul Kuhr’s journey through fatherhood.

So how does all this relate to this album review. Well, you see, on Hamartia, Paul’s daughter Rhiannon features as a guest vocalist on three tracks. Practically the young baby that Autumn Reflection refers to, has grown to join her father in recording another excellent album. I don’t know about you, but for me this lends a sense of legitimacy, of accomplishment to this album, even going past the excellent execution from the entire band.

Now that we’ve circled the concept quite a bit, what about the music? Well, with respect to ND‘s discography, this is the “lightest” album since The Pale Haunt Departure. The doom elements overshadow the death ones, but this does not weaken the impact whatsoever. The album starts with a typical ND song, with driving Goetheburg-style riffs and earth shaking growls from Paul. Longtime guitarists Larry Roberts and Vito Marchese fire on all cylinders delivering one of the best performances from the last ND albums. I am biased to their more doomy work, but when fully unleashed, such as on Zephyr (which has, by the way, a very cool lyric video featured below), these guys really stomp out riffs. Since we’re talking individual performances, bassist Mike Feldman anchors the sound throughout the album, with a clear and precise presence, while newcomer Garry Napels on the drums keeps everything tightly driven forward.

The album itself shifts between softer and heavier tracks, with expert pacing. Plague Bird is the first track that shows the cleaner tendency of the album, alongside Hamartia, Miasma and Borderline. The rest of the songs alternate to the band’s heavier elements all glorious in their own right. On Waves in the Red Cloth, Andrew Craighan (My Dying Bride) has a guest solo on the outro with a fitting bell tolling in the background.

My personal favorite track is by far Miasma (featured below), which itself is a departure from ND’s general sound. But the greatest contrast I see comes from the lyrics of Borderline, the closing song:

We walked across the borderline
Take a pause and one deep breath
Meeting our eyes before we step
Forever forward, no turning back

Holding hands, knuckles white
Never greater to feel so alive
Moving on and side by side
Together a new day begins

Rhiannon Kuhr, Bernt Fjellestad (Susperia), Dan Swanö  are guest vocalists on this one, to great effect on the bridge. The track itself is a great brooding piece that somehow manages to be the most hopeful thing ND have ever released. It’s completely uncharacteristic for a band in this genre, without forgoing the heaviness. It truly is something that warrants your full attention and a fitting end to an excellent album.

As mentioned before, I’m more inclined towards ND‘s softer material, if you can call it that. This band has always been one of contrasts to me, and truly represent a sound that is genre defining. If you have not given them a chance so far, this album is a great gateway to a truly great discography, by a band that always has something deep to convey.

Hamartia was released Apr 14th 2017 on The End Records