Hymn is a two-man band from Norway that formed in 2013 and they are currently gearing up to release their debut album Perish.
When it comes to the sludgier side of the doom spectrum, nobody is expecting in your face two-minute punk style tracks, but considering the fact I waited for Perish to properly get going throughout its first full-length track Rise for its entire 12 minute duration and nothing happened, somehow that seems a little much. Dragging its feet from start to finish, and sounding repetitive and sluggish, it’s not the best way to start off an album.
Thankfully Perish does get moving with third track Serpent which has a bit more ‘oomph’ to it. A little more momentum goes a long way, and the solid, more energetic drumline underneath the music packs a real punch. The flow is good, with the song having some proper direction in its delivery and the bellowed vocals have a lot of passion and body to them.
The album continues well from there, and although the following tracks lack the momentum of Serpent (the track which is perhaps the strongest on the release), the passion and sheer power behind them makes them that little bit more engaging – and the closing track Perish, which also serves as a title track, ends the piece on a high with some passionate vocals and crashing drums and wonderfully fuzzy guitars.
As a whole, although lacking on the odd occasion, Perish is a decent enough listen – and is all the more impressive given that it was created by just two people!
7/10
