Ah, good old fashion Doom Metal! It seems almost a lost art these days as pioneers of the early 1990’s UK doom scene such as Paradise Lost and Anathema have radically changed their sound from their early releases, nowadays moving in a more shall we say modern direction? Whether this is a good or bad thing is really in the eye of the beholder. I mean, for every fan that embraces the new releases, there is most likely one that would just as soon piss on them as play them. Also, we see early 90’s doom bands like My Dying Bride and Cathedral, who did experiment on a few releases, only to turn back the clock on their newest releases going back to their doom roots. Again, whether they succeed at recapturing their past triumphs is also in the eye of the beholder. For every fan that praises these bands “bow to NO trends!!!” type of standpoint, there is I am sure also one that sees this is as nothing but a sad attempt to rekindle their past magic and appease the die-hards who have been there since the beginning. In my opinion, none of the listeners are necessarily right or wrong. I mean at the end of the day, it’s up to the listener what’s good and what sucks. Some “get it” some don’t. Such is the beauty of underground music. Speaking of Cathedral, it can be noted that this band opened for them on their tour of Ireland in May of 1999.

Anyway, with many of the early 1990’s bands changing their sounds, breaking up, or simply losing their appeal, this leaves a bit of a void in the scene. I mean who stands to inherit the king’s mighty thrones? Well here is one band that it seems to me is MORE than up to that very task. Enter MOURNING BELOVETH. Hailing from Ireland, the band formed in 1992 however didn’t record it’s first demo until 1996. The band consists of Darren (vocals), Frank (guitar), Adrian (bass), Brian (guitar), and Timmy on drums. And I must say, that the more I listen to this release the more I like it. The band plays Doom Metal in the early 1990’s sense, but with a style that’s very identifiable and most definitely all their own. One thing that sets the band apart from their brothers in doom is their since of melody which is very striking to my ears. Right now I would say my favorite song on this album would be the opener, The Mountains Are Mine with it’s sweeping melody and extremely powerful flow. Rest assured though, this isn’t the only gem in this collection of diamonds. (Doomands? *lol * sorry, sorry) The title track Dust practically drains the listener with it’s almost 15 minute playing time and it’s slow, yet sure and steady doom pace. It’s definitely a GOOD one, believe me. As far as vocal style, the majority is a low death growl and roar, however clean vocals are also incorporated into the music and it makes for a very cool sound. The clean vocals are also quite good and at times sort of remind me of Rob Lowe (Solitude Aeturnus- NOT the actor my friends). Autumnal Fires is another stand out and I really love the lead that appears around the 4:10 mark of the song. All Hope Is Pleading is another damn good one and the lead and riff that begin around the 3:40 mark will definitely make just about any kind of metal head stand up and take notice I think. It Almost Looked Human is an added track from the band's 1998 demo, Autumnal Fires which doesn't really add or subtract anything from the proceedings. Sinistra is an instrumental that serves it's purpose in both it's melancholy and eerieness. The album ends with Forever Lost Emeralds from the band's upcoming The Sullen Sulcus release. The track sounds like it might be a demo, based on it's production but I don't know this for fact. If it's any indication though, don't look for this band to radically alter their sound anytime soon. If anything, it seems a bit sicker than before.

Overall, this is quite a good release from a band still relatively new to a lot of listeners. To me, their music is almost like a really dark cave the listener can crawl into and once inside, be drawn to explore deeper in the darkness. There are some clean guitar parts, the already mentioned clean vocals, the awesome leads, some really heavy and bone crushing riffs and just the entire atmosphere of the production that make this release a winner for me. Worth mentioning also is that it was recorded in the famed Academy Studios in the UK and produced by doom God Mags. A person I’m sure many readers are most likely familiar with. The album was also mastered by Stuart Anstis (ex-Cradle Of Filth). My only real complaint with the album is that with it’s roughly 74 minute playing time, it does sort of drag in a couple parts. It just seems there is a bit of fat maybe? For lack of a better term that could have been trimmed off in places. And I can see how this might be a turn off to the casual listener, but I bet many doom heads will dig. Really, at the end of the day it’s all good and I DEFINITELY recommend this to any kind of doom metal fan.