Umbra Nihil - Gnoia
Firebox Records

file under doom metal

Vera: The world does not swarm with numerous doom adepts and for this kind of doom one can diminish the fan crowd with a half. What I am trying to say is, die hard fans of bands like My Dying Bride or Novembers Doom – and I am counting myself to their loyal fans – will not be automatically ravished by the works of bands such as Aarni and Umbra Nihil. A little warning is needed. What is the matter with Umbra Nihil, of which I just listened several times to their debut album ‘Gnoia’? Or better, I let it flow over me, for this is real atmospheric music. The pace is slow, but not drowsy, even not heavy or monumental. Rather floating and thoughtful, a bit distant too. Well, it is like they say themselves: Umbra Nihil is an obscure metal act of Northern Finland who entertains us with passing sound-scapes. And I am sure they will summon a certain spirit for a select audience.

Main man of the band is VV who plays guitar, flute, drums, keyboards and he also sings. Mostly a hoarse voice, not mixed in the front, an intelligible grunt, and rarely a dark grave voice. But there are not that much vocals on this album. After the release of a split CD in 2002 with Aarni, another similar obscure band who operates under the northern lights, Aarni guitarist MM joined Umbra Nihil and his dreamy, sometimes very Pink Floyd alike guitar sounds, offer some charming moments. The psychedelic, cosmic sounds in ‘The Dreams In The Witch-House’ are experimental but fine. When you are in the mood. Otherwise it is easy to judge that these sounds better remain inner-room. ‘Fade Out’, another ten minutes trip, sounds like the title suggests. Mostly dreamlike guitars. The musical background sometimes suffers of mechanical simplicity, but the guitar waves blow over your head from afar. And that is how they fade away too: ethereal, untouchable, passing your mind for a second and then ascending to heaven to find their way in between the dust of stars.

The lyrics deal with the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft to the more personal themes like isolation, alienation and emotional emptiness. With this debut, Umbra Nihil tends to go a different way: the new style is more varied than the music on their demo or the split CD with Aarni. It seems like a state of mind of captured darkness, caused by nature and transformed into layers of music. Do not listen to ‘Gnoia’ when you are in the mood for a steady portion of metal, but use it as music in the background to unbend the mind.

Rating 72/100 (details)

http://www.umbranihil.net