Release Date: 26th January 2018
Slow. Yes it is. The latest album from Belgian doom duo Slow eponymous with its sound is called V – Oceans and is where the ebb and flow of distorted guitars and grimaced vocals suit the sound just as the name suits the tempo, and also matching the albums’ title is the depth that V – Oceans beckons you to fall into, like a ghost over a cliff.
However like a ghost this album isn’t very clearly defined. The notes and melodies are there but the overall expression is rather dull. As the heavy atmosphere settles atop its production values it creates a mist that wants you to pay for your ancestors treachery or something John Carpenter-esq at least.
With that being said this album does conspire to inflict the listener with a leaden mood that on deeper listening eventually becomes pleasurable. With the contrast between tonal pressure and soft articulate melodies mingling together to create an interesting dynamic.
V – Oceans is an ultimately laborious endeavor to get through. Its simple construction and lackluster expression may make it seem like easy listening but the reliance on emphasizing every interval, and every chord change creates a very flat collection of songs that are devoid of colour.
Slow are doom metal so don’t expect a circus while visiting their drowned safari park.
7/10
