Reviewed by Jonathan Langley

There are, of course, clues that this is not a happy-go-lucky pop punk band likely to sing about skateboards and girls. There's the name, for a start. Then there's the artwork and photos: autumn leaves in sepia tones, graveyard metalwork and long-haired men in long black jackets. But really the clue that this is not a cheerful, light-hearted album is in the title. 'The Anatomy Of Melancholy' kinda says it all. This is doom metal with a death metal edge. It's all brooding deep voices crying out psalmic laments to God about failure, misery and the wickedness of this world. That's interspersed with some extreme vocals and guitars that switch between slow drones and scorching riffs. This double album brings something more: the second disc replaces droning guitars and screams with breathy vocals, acoustic plucking, a plethora of medieval sounding instruments and some pseudo-choral arrangements. For fans of My Dying Bride, older Paradise Lost and the doom/gloom/goth/medieval metal scenes generally, this album will light your black candles, waft your incense and blow your hair back in the icy winds of this cold dark world.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.