Sheer epicness baffles when the first tunes and monastic choirs of the opening track Burden Foretold set in. This is one kind of majestic and epic Doom Metal I did not hear for a longer time. Heavily loaded with melancholy you may find in Finnish Gothic/Death/Doom bands such as early Ghost Brigade and Swallow The Sun, or, to stay on English shores, My Dying Bride. A whiff of Folk echoes from afar, conjuring reminiscences of the elders such as Bathory and Falkenbach.
ARÐ is the brainchild of Mark Deeks, known for his service as Winterfylleth's keyboard player and co-vocalist, walking long-forgotten paths with his debut Take Up My Bones. He is joined by Wolcensmen’s Dan Capp on guitars and backing vocals, Atavist drummer Callum Cox, and cellist extraordinaire Jo Quail. Take Up My Bones was mixed by Greg Chandler (of Esoteric), another excellent reference when it comes to Doom Metal.
Lyrically, Mark Deeks digs deep in the history of the land he calls his home: Northumbria, where the name ARÐ comes from too, telling the story of legendary relics of the famous Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne and their long journey, which can also be followed in his PhD thesis.
ARÐ takes the listener on a journey right from the beginning. As mentioned, Burden Foretold crashes in as an overwhelming example of the grandeur this record unfolds: wailing guitars meet stellar choirs and chants, spoken words, contemplative piano tunes and synths, and a gut-wrenching cello. Followed by the similar title track. Right after, Take Up My Bones slows down its pace, which, next to the repetitive formula in songwriting, causes some lengthiness in the long tracks. A bit more dynamics or more powerful guitar work would not have done any harm.
Take Up My Bones is a wonderful debut album with some minor unbalance that needs its own niche and mood to be listened to and to unfold its melancholic beauty.