To be a fan of doom metal, one must have a certain acceptance and appreciation of their own self-loathing. It’s the tangent of the metal web that generally focuses negative energy inward. As such, it’s a form of music that tends to be subject to situational appreciation. But when an album with real quality hits, it implants itself in its listeners consciousness. And that’s what we have here with …When Dead, the latest release from Majestic Downfall, which leaves its mark as one of the better doom metal albums we’ve heard so far this year.

…When Dead was originally labeled as a melodic doom metal album, and at times, that’s a fair assessment. But in actuality, this album takes on far more forms. It’s simply not fair to categorize this is in any one section of the metal spectrum. It all starts with the titular opener a two-minute instrumental with a dry percussive rhythm and deliberately melodic leads that feels like a countdown to an inevitable descent into personal suffering.

After that, we get four tracks ranging in duration from 11 minutes in length to over 15. From that alone, you’ll understand the depth of what they’re working with. Each track contains multiple layers that will take time to peel away. Doom metal can take many forms, and this just about hits them all. At times this much diversity can be criticized, but here it works.

As soon as we dive into the second track, “Escape My Thought,” all pre-conceived notions of melodic doom metal are thrown away. We’re met with a furious barrage of tremolo picking and blast beats that leads into the darkest of guttural shrieks. This is blackened doom metal, with an emphasis on blackened. But not long later, the band abruptly deviates to a slower, more funeral-esque doom metal sound. With this more deliberate focus, the relation of each drawn out guitar note to each kick of the bass creates a new form of malevolence that just penetrates your very being. It’s arguably the most impressive track on the album, and shows us the band’s both aware of their doom metal classification but also able to customize their sound with other styles.

All these transitions — fast to slow, heavy to melodic — come and go throughout the album in different ways. For example, “Escape My Thought” takes a journey into personal insanity through its frequent transitions into black metal styles, but later tracks like “The Brick, The Concrete” and “Doors,” bring in sludgy sections and melodic interludes that bring things to a near-standstill. This is all fused together with an emphasis on cohesiveness, making these tracks less chaotic, but darker and more depressing overall. Each one feels like a downward journey into personal hell, a gateway to a new form of internal suffering.

Bottom line, this is not traditional doom metal, or even melodic doom metal, as we know it. It’s not uncommon for a band to bring in a range of stylistic influences, but the way they are utilized here makes …When Dead different. Each track highlights a very specific form of suffering — from insanity, to fear, to loss — cleverly forming the depiction of this album. This may make it seem like …When Dead lacks a defined persona, but that ends up working in the album’s favor. It’s a sound that becomes far more complex and personal, making it a relatively addictive listen despite its unquestionable darkness. No easy feat for an album in this category.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– Corey

…When Dead is available now on Pulverised Records. For more information on Majestic Downfall, visit the band’s Facebook page.