When it comes to the metal scene from Eastern Europe, people often pay the most attention to countries like Ukraine and Russia, but they never pay any attention to Belarus. It's a shame because lots of people are missing out on some great stuff. First there was Alatyr which I reviewed almost two years ago, then there was Hospice with their deranged death metal, and now we have some awesome doom/death from Crypt Of Reason, who have released their first EP, Creation of Despair, in July of this year.
First of all, the production is extremely powerful. The riffs come in clear as day, the bass is really thick and adds an extra level of forcefulness to the music, and each pound of the snare resonates perfectly. Speaking of drums, they mainly play your typical slow doom/death rhythms, but they compliment it by throwing in lots of double bass and fills. I know I've said this plenty of times in the past, but when it comes to making music, you have two options: you can either push the boundaries of the genre and do stuff that no one has done before, or you can take an existing formula and perform it really well. This drummer takes the latter path.
The vocals consist of a deep, bellowing growl that perfectly matches with the slow, crushing nature of the music. There are also times when the guitars step back and let the drums take over with some slow, ominous rhythms. It is during these moments when we hear some whispered vocals that enhance the feeling of sorrow that is displayed in the music. As for the guitars, they're just plain fantastic. They play lots of plodding riffs that are heavily inspired by the Russian doom/death scene, but what makes these guitars unique is that their tone sounds like a mix of melodic death metal and depressive black metal. Hell, on the second song, they play some fast riffs that sound like they were pulled straight from the melodic death metal scene in Sweden. I love the guitar tone. It helps the music display a feeling of desolation and sorrow that wouldn't have been accomplished otherwise.
This was an amazing EP. I loved the powerful production, the excellent drumming, and the beautiful guitar tone. Back in the 90s, no one paid Belarus much heed, but thanks to sites like Bandcamp, I think we'll finally start to see more bands emerge from that country. These guys are great, and if you're interested, you can download this EP from their official Bandcamp page.
First of all, the production is extremely powerful. The riffs come in clear as day, the bass is really thick and adds an extra level of forcefulness to the music, and each pound of the snare resonates perfectly. Speaking of drums, they mainly play your typical slow doom/death rhythms, but they compliment it by throwing in lots of double bass and fills. I know I've said this plenty of times in the past, but when it comes to making music, you have two options: you can either push the boundaries of the genre and do stuff that no one has done before, or you can take an existing formula and perform it really well. This drummer takes the latter path.
The vocals consist of a deep, bellowing growl that perfectly matches with the slow, crushing nature of the music. There are also times when the guitars step back and let the drums take over with some slow, ominous rhythms. It is during these moments when we hear some whispered vocals that enhance the feeling of sorrow that is displayed in the music. As for the guitars, they're just plain fantastic. They play lots of plodding riffs that are heavily inspired by the Russian doom/death scene, but what makes these guitars unique is that their tone sounds like a mix of melodic death metal and depressive black metal. Hell, on the second song, they play some fast riffs that sound like they were pulled straight from the melodic death metal scene in Sweden. I love the guitar tone. It helps the music display a feeling of desolation and sorrow that wouldn't have been accomplished otherwise.
This was an amazing EP. I loved the powerful production, the excellent drumming, and the beautiful guitar tone. Back in the 90s, no one paid Belarus much heed, but thanks to sites like Bandcamp, I think we'll finally start to see more bands emerge from that country. These guys are great, and if you're interested, you can download this EP from their official Bandcamp page.
