Saturday 19 December 2015

Dark Buddha Rising - Inversum


Tracklist:-

1. E S O 
2. E X O 

Eerie and forlorn doom seems so perfect for this time of year and Dark Buddha Rising is my choice for this afternoon. This secretive Finnish bunch has been spewing out slow occult doom since 2007 and has managed to stay extremely consistent since then, releasing six full-lengths as well as a live recording taken from the pinnacle of European extreme metal, Roadburn in which they appeared in 2012. Inversum is their sixth and latest long-player and is the first since joining forces with Neurot Recordings.

Often with doom it’s all about the build up as opposed to the end product. It’s certainly the case with the haunting and atmospheric E S O. That build-up takes place over meandering ambience, lumbering yet spacious riffs and sensitive percussion. As you’d expect it’s instrumental for long periods. When vocals do eventually appear, they are chanting semi-melodic ones. As the song gets heavier so do the vocals, which turn from the aforementioned chants into distant shrieks. Dark Buddha Rising puts drone to good use as the song passes the ten-minute mark and E S O becomes more and more bewildering, with plenty of experimental flourishes. The experimental and progressive approach carries on through the remainder of the song and it becomes very obvious that this isn’t just your run-of-the-mill doom record. The creaking effects during the early passages of E X O fit the mood perfectly, while the voices conjure images of ancient Finnish moors and roving hordes. The rhythm is more hypnotic and it feels more simplistic overall. E X O is split into movements instead of flowing naturally like E S O did. After the six-minute mark has passed, E X O changes into something more dissonant and menacing. The vocals this time take the form of projected shouting that begins in a clear manner but becomes harsher with time, before Dark Buddha Rising does eventually explode with heaviness. That heaviness is maintained for quite a while before you’re led into a false sense of security by the slowing and calming ambience. The last throw of the dice comes in the form of a pleasing groove that repeats for several bars proving that Dark Buddha Rising isn’t afraid to channel their inner desert-rock band into their music. This is a long and encompassing release that covers lots of ground and emotions. Extremities aside, this is really listenable and enjoyable too. 

You can stream and purchase Inversum here:-



Physical copies can be purchased from Neurot Recordings here -

https://neurotrecordings.merchtable.com/

Dark Buddha Rising Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dbrising
Neurot Recordings Faceboook - https://www.facebook.com/neurotrecordings/

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