Band: Sabachthani Album: Miserable Endings Label: Skarlet Recordings Rating: 9/10 Website: http://www.sabachthani.org BUY NOW!

Sabachthani comes from the land of Sweden. Other than Candlemass, who gave the genre its tag, Sweden is not known for pumping out doom metal. Although this group is native to the land of doom metal's epic origin, Sabachthani looks to its neighbours in the south, My Dying Bride, to find its sound. Nearly every aspect of "Miserable Endings" is an emulation of My Dying Bride. Vocalist Martin Mathiesen uses the same technique as Aaron from My Dying Bride by alternating between clean and death vocals. The clean vocals, in particular, strongly resemble My Dying Bride. Mathiesen reaches the same vocal pitch as MDB with a similar showing of passion and pain. Also, the song structures are similar to MDB. Sabachthani structures its music around melodies that build into crushing power chords. The group even uses harmonics similarly to break a verse or chorus. For instance, "Christabel's Journey" moves with much impetus then comes crashing down with a long harmonic squeal. During the first couple listens, the MDB influence seems too obvious, almost like the band falters to find its own identity. Subsequence listens, however, reveals the band's genius. For one, even though Sabachthani's music is overwhelmingly MDB influenced, the group does MDB a great justice. Each track flows and the arrangements are spectacular. Additionally, the group creates mind-grabbing melodies, constructed with the promise of listeners returning to the group's powerful album, again and again. The melodies on "Miserable Endings" are not just catchy; they play an essential part in building the persistent depressive mood. Empyreal keyboard passages and drawn out power chords drawn attention to the lyrics of lost hope and misery. "Skarlet Industries" sandwiches this technique between chugging, mid-paced death metal to create dynamic peaks and valleys. Perhaps the richest melodies appear in "Skull of an Angel". This track begins stripped of harsh metal tones with the band playing acoustic guitars. The lyrics reflect loss of love and seem almost gleeful in the beginning, like the narrator is joyfully reminiscing the time he spent with his love; however, when the distorted guitar cuts in his psyche takes a turn for the tragic. The low end guitars and death metal growls shows this character losing his soul to anger and apathy, shunning help from others, especially God. Near the end of the track, Mathiesen's vocals blend with female vocals to create a din of desperation. Having never heard the band's previous efforts, I cannot compare those to "Miserable Endings". Although judging by their bio, it is easy to make an assumption that these emissaries of doom will settle for nothing less than perfection. Having gone through many line-up changes since the band's inception just a few years ago, the group seems closer to its goal. One thing is clear, though, for those who intensely listen and understand this form of music, "Miserable Endings" will be recognized as an underground doom metal classic! Darren Cowan Back to Reviews