Ablaze In Hatred - Deceptive Awareness
Firebox Records

file under doom metal

Vera: The Finnish Draconian (without any female vocals) has risen and operates under the moniker Ablaze In Hatred! This means I was immediately impressed when I heard ‘Deceptive Awareness’. Fast deciders know enough now and they can go shopping and buy this debut album without hesitation. As for the others: here is a more detailed review.

It is a young band, founded in 2004 when two friends, Juhani Sanna (guitars) and Mika Ikonen (vocals, guitars, keyboards), decided to create music which was dark and slow, but at the same time very heavy and atmospheric. They start to write music for a first promo CD. In the Spring of 2005 drummer Antti Hakkala (Searing Meadow) and bass player Miska Lehtivuori (Fall Of The Leafe) join the band. Soon after that the promo was recorded (released in September 2005). The positive response leads to a contract with pre-eminent doom metal label Firebox Records in October 2005, followed by writing more material to record a full length CD. That has become ‘Deceptive Awareness’, recorded in June 2006 at the Noisecamp Studios by Kari Nieminen and produced by the band themselves. The band appears to be very talented, for the album has a first-rate sound.

‘Lost (The Overture)’ takes its time to come to full bloom with a murky Pink Floyd alike intro and plucking guitars until heaven’s been split by slow, dawdling doom riffs. Not that much vocals in here and these are deep grunts. But this is only a small appetizer. The following nine minutes long ‘When The Blackened Candles Shine’ shows more of the true intentions of Ablaze In Hatred. Just like the magnificent riffing in ‘Howls Unknown’ with a majority of growling vocals and a few primordial screams which pierce you to the very marrow. But it is only during ‘Constant Stillness’ that I prick my ears and think “This really sounds like Draconian”. The slow, compelling riffs, the whispering voice regularly swelling to succulent, gravel-throated grunts and the typical melodic guitar lines who have that wailing sound. These are my favourite doom songs: approachable, soaring guitar melodies, voices in an undertone passing into growling grunts, an arcane intermezzo with mysterious Pink Floyd sounds, followed by an eruption with a climax. The dignified slow riffs of ‘Ongoing Fall’ are graced with elegant fluent soloing again. Totally the guitar style of Johan Ericson of Draconian and he is openly influenced by David Gilmour (Pink Floyd). Maybe we can make a thesis about the influence of Pink Floyd on doom metal bands. Seems like a fertile mission to me, just think about the guitarists of Anathema, Draconian and now Ablaze In Hatred. By the way, I just read that they recommend Ablaze In Hatred to Anathema fans. Not an odd idea at all. As occluding track, this full length album also includes the main composition of the promo ‘Closure To Life’. This album is a stunner and a new name in doom metal land we have to reckon with has risen from the ashes!

Rating 92/100 (details)

http://www.ablazeinhetred.com