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ALGOL / SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY :
WHISPERS FROM AN EMPTY ROOM

I'm not a big fan of split CDs in general, as usually you end up paying for a full price disc, and only really liking one of the bands. Split 7"s aren't as bad, because they're only $4 or so, but when you're dropping $12 - $20 for a disc, you start to rethink the idea. Sometimes things match up perfectly, like the "Respect The Rock" CDs from The Hellacopters and Gluecifer, but this is a pretty rare occurrence. This all brings me to the disc in question, a split between Algol (five tracks) and Shroud Of Despondency (four tracks), called "Whispers from An Empty Room". The short version of this review is; Algol kicks ass, Shroud Of Despondency... not so much. But, let's take a more in depth look shall we? First up is Algol from the US (Harrisburg, PA). These guys play a modern brand of atmospheric Black-Metal (yes they have keyboards), although they prefer to call it "Dark Vinlandic Art". Main man and vocalist Dalkiel does a wonderful impression of Dani Filth for most of the songs, except for when he chooses to do his Marilyn Manson impression instead. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, far from it in fact, I'm just comparing for a point of reference. If you don't mind a little variation, experimentation, and dare I say it, semi-commercialism mixed with the traditional Black-Metal sound, then you should love this band. I was blown away by these five tracks, and yes, there is stuff here that could easily hold its own with the mighty Cradle Of Filth. For an overall feel, think of COF mixed with the heavier stuff from Manson, early And Oceans, and a little hint of Goth. On its own, I would rate the Algol portion of the disc as a solid "8", almost leaning to an "8.5". Next we have the more underground sonic sludge from Shroud Of Despondency. I love the name, but it's all down hill from there. This northern Michigan entity isn't really a band, it's a solo effort from lone member Rory Heikkila. When Rory first started Shroud, apparently it had more of a straightforward Black-Metal sound, which can be heard on the 2002 debut "For Eternity Brings No Hope". This time out, the sound has more to do with extreme Doom-Metal (with Death-Metal overtones) than it does with traditional Black-Metal. To be blunt, I found these four tracks pretty painful. Sure it's heavy, it's bleak, it's evil sounding, and it's grim as hell, (all good points). But, it's also an incoherent, disjointed, meandering, and totally incohesive dirge. Those that can handle extreme Doom outfits like Sunn 0))) might dig it, but for me, it was a headache waiting to happen. At best, I can only give the Shroud portion a rating of "4", so the number you see below is the average for the two bands. I would still recommend this disc, as the Algol stuff is worth the price on its own, but its up to you to decide. For more info, check out algolnine.com and paragonrecords.net.
RATING = 6 Black/Doom Metal (Released 2004)

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