Even though this is already the fifth album by NOVEMBERS DOOM I have to admit this is the first thing I've ever heard by this band from Chicago, Illinois. Not sure why I never bothered to check their stuff out. Maybe it's a combination of the band name being a bit of a turnoff (what the hell is supposed to be ‘doom' about November!?) and me getting more and more tired of all those world-weary ‘serious' metal bands.

Anyway, for this album NOVEMBERS DOOM have called in the help of none other than Dan Swanö (for mixing duties and the occasional guitar bit) and James Murphy (for the mastering) and the result is an album that could very well be one of the years top-releases in metal. The opening title track sets the tone nicely. A very dark and melancholic kind of metal that immediately brings to mind European contemporaries like OPETH and KATATONIA as well as the early works of bands such as PARADISE LOST and MY DYING BRIDE. The album features 8 very carefully constructed songs which all take their time to build (nothing under the 5 minute mark here). Singer Paul Kuhr does a convincing job of combining grunting with clean vocals. There's some keyboard bits as well but they're used sparingly and with taste, none of ‘em excessive enough to turn NOVEMBERS DOOM into some silly goth act. Like said, the utter seriousness of a lot of contemporary metal kinda turns me off (wasn't this music supposed to be fun? Even when it was about ‘dark' stuff?) but I have to say I really like this album by NOVEMBERS DOOM. Of course the lyrics (mostly about loss, grief and other sad stuff – emo's got nothing on these guys, seriously) are a bit of an acquired taste but even if you don't care for those there's a lot to like about this album. It's got great production and comes packaged in some terrific cover art. But what I like mostly about ‘The Pale Haunt Departure' is that it's got thoughtful arrangements and really good song material. And if you think that's a given you haven't heard a lot of what's being put out in this genre. ‘The Pale Haunt Departure' is good metal.

- Van Hoften

OFFICIAL SITE: www.novembersdoom.com

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