Getting all death / doomy to start, we have the new one from October Tide. Now the main project of Fred and Mattias Norrman (both former Katatonia members) alongside Demonical’s lead singer Alexander Högbom, October Tide are about to release the follow-up to 2016’s Winged Waltz.
In Splendor Below is the perfect combination of doomy tones and harsh, deathy lyrics. The slower moments are very slow, yet melodic and musical, while the faster sections quite rightly don’t reach a blistering pace. From the opening track, “I, The Polluter”, you know you’re onto a good thing as it sets the album up well with a taste of everything that’s coming your way.
Multi-layered vocals such as those in “We Died In October” really add depth to the sound and separate October Tide from similar bands. The emphasis really is more on the doom sound than the death one, and I love the interplay of the lead and rhythm guitars – “Our Famine” gives one of the best examples.
In Splendor Below is a wonderfully depressing, downbeat, harsh, soul-shredding slab of metal.
In Splendor Below is out on May 17th
