Stuporous — Asylum's Lament

Unfamiliar with this band, I was unsure what to expect from what seems to be their debut recording.  In fitting with its title, there is a gothic, tragic atmosphere right from the beginning, with melancholic Romantic classical piano, soon joined by strings and brushed drumset.  With a tonality and atmosphere common to black metal, but musicianship seemingly derived from jazz, I am truly unable to predict what the rest of the album will sound like.

My initial hunch that it would be metal turns out to be accurate.  With the second track "Throne of Madness", we are introduced an esoteric and highly progressive form of black metal with unusual atonal harmonies, though the flowery piano from the intro remains.  The guitar work is similarly filled with circular scalar figures and cleverly hidden melody.

There are some majestic moments that perfectly take advantage of the group's sophisticated understanding of harmony and tonality, such as the lushly orchestrated "Decorating the Willow Tree", which features a trumpet solo in its final section, backed by a chorus of harmonized guitars.  I'm reminded of my some of my favorite Viking metal groups like Windir or Summoning.

Alongside the tremolos and blast beats typical of black metal, there are a good many chunky midtempo sections on this recording that work well for creating some groove and dramatic flair.  One never gets the impression of being stuck in one place or idiom with this recording, which has a cinematic way of moving across an emotional arc, describing in notes the process of resolving personal dilemmas.  Each tuneful riff seems to feed into the next, in a continuous momentum.

The vocalist does not limit himself to a black metal vocal style, with many parts taking influence from bands like Christian Death, Celtic Frost, or modern metalcore. He seems to spit and growl every word in a slightly different voice as he illustrates the lyrics; it is a highly theatric style.  At times he is not unlike Dani Filth on the older recordings, but certainly not as shrill.

The production on the album is cavernous and often rather unclear, but does not hinder my enjoyment of the album.  The uncompressed, reverberant sound stage is fitting to the style of the recording, which would not work with a dry, upfront production as often heard in death or thrash metal.  The vocals are pushed to the rear, which is a good thing, as the spirited, erratic performance here would become the center of attention in every piece if it were louder.  Having some distance from the front allows the tonality of the guitars to be heard.

This is some of the most beautiful progressive black metal I've heard, a lush, dynamically contrasted epic full of memorable moments.  The band's astonishing and elegant melodic writing makes for a flawless Romantic symphony for the modern era.  I find myself in disbelief that this could be a debut album.  It speaks to years of experience and moves with a fluency seldom attained.