Slumber "Fallout" (Candlelight)
By Taylor Green
Tuesday. Jun 07, 1:38 AM
Required listening for progressive doomheads.

Doom metal isn't a very large market, and the few recently successful acts of this genre have had to combine the basics of doom with progressive and death metal. Fitting, then, that that would be the perfect lead in for Slumber, a band that commands the essence of modern doom. When talking about Fallout, it is hard to not focus on the first song, "Rapture": a song so magnificent it almost lessens the rest of the album. The essence of Slumber is buried within this one song, which is then elaborated into darker and gloomier confines as the album progresses. The slow and uneasy pace broods itself into an epic catastrophe of sound. The keyboards sit hauntingly in the background of a massacre, beauty in chaos, the very essence of Slumber. And this album is divulged through "Rapture."

Fallout is a modern masterpiece, an album that is drenched in the evolution of every note. The deeper you get into its confines, the harder it is to escape the enchanting nature of each element. This album in its entirety could be matched up with the best of Katatonia: it is so brilliantly crafted. Fallout lulls the listener into the world of Slumber and embarks on a 40-minute journey of darkness and despair.

After reading reviews of this album elsewhere, I don't have the same issue with the vocal presence of Siavosh Bigonah, but I do admit that it is probably the only area this band could improve on. Though the vocals do seem drowned out by the accompanying music at times, I think it makes the instruments that much more powerful and riveting. Much like Enslaved (though a different genre), the vocals are never overpowering, something I could criticize other doom metal bands of doing. My biggest issue is the length of the album. Though it is probably the best 37 minutes of music I've heard in a while, Slumber could've definitely churned out a few more songs to add to the album, which to me ends on an almost incomplete note. While "A Wanders Star" is a phenomenal closer, there could've been songs put on each end of the title track to ease the flow of the album. Overall, it's a minor complaint that doesn't lessen the brilliance of the album in any way. For fans of My Dying Bride and Katatonia, Slumber is not just recommended listening, it is required.
www.slumber.nu
www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

Taylor Green

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