..."whenever the words seem so hard to say..."

Katatonia's Brave Murder Day album seems to have started a new genre of sorts what with bands such as Rapture (whose Futile debut could have been titled Brave Murder Day Part 2), October Tide (featuring Katatonia's own Jonas Renske and Fredrik Normann), and others treading a similar path. Add Denmark's Blazing Eternity to that list as well, as their debut Times And Unknown Waters contains many moments that bring the aforementioned Swedish masterwork to mind, yet cover a wider spectrum with their approach providing the listener with various shades of grey emotions and pale horizons.

As soon as first song "Concluding The Dive Of Centuries" begins with its subdued guitarwork and grey spirited harmonies Katatonia are immediately into mental view. This is not a knock against the band however, as I happen to be quite fond of this style and it's not a complete rip off but more of a very noticeable influence. Driving, gothic inspired Metal and performed with the passion that lets you know it's for real. Peter's vocals range from the standard harsh growl/scream to the clean half spoken, half sung approach, and while the words are delivered competently enough, I can't help but feel they lack a bit of character. The clean vocals come across a bit flat and at times out of tune. The potential is there, and his voice is effective in certain sections, but a stronger vocal delivery would really enhance the material and drive the desired emotional effect home a bit harder. That said, it's nowhere near horrible and actually quite a few bands would probably love to have him as their vocalist. A sorrowful guitar harmony sets the stage for "Fortable Horisonter", evoking the spirit of Dance Of December Souls, suddenly coming to a complete halt around the 1:00 mark, making way for a haunting synth backdrop and acoustic guitar strumming....a time for inner reflection...The title track opens with a haunting crawl that reminds of Finland's Dolorian, bleeding into classic sorrowful harmony Doom. Epic moments arise throughout. A surprisingly fast riff starts off "Still Lost In The Autumn Of Eternity", and its all out Gothenburg Death Metal, fast and atmospheric, then midway through the song wanders through double bass driven, mid paced fare. The acoustic instrumental, "(Sagnet Om) Manden Mad Den Sorte Hat", opens the door to serenity....beautiful sadness...while "Dead Inside" brings Dolorian back to mind...dismal and utterly desolate. A despondent atmosphere, mournful clean vocals and black vocals, driving double bass sections, melodic guitar work and atmospheric keyboards take "Dark Summernights Of Eternal Twilight" into a chapel of serene darkness....sorrow embraced by tranquility. The final moments of Times And Unknown Waters, "End/Midnight", guides me into desolate landscapes which bleed into tranquil horizons, distorted voices speaking of regret and remorse...after the song is over, a long period of silence is all that remains...until about the 17 minute mark, when the band launch into total epic Black Metal which then, after about a minute or so, abruptly ends and I'm left with a blank stare as from the speakers flows dark electronica, complete with techno beats and all...a surprising twist that caught me completely off guard, but it works very well and is actually one of the highlights of the album for me...after about a minute or so, a desperately sorrowful guitar harmony leads us back to the Black atmospheric paths which then gives way for slow and grim Doom and back again....Quite a Dark journey.

Blazing Eternity create a vast sound that many will see as a combination of Katatonia and Opeth, as there is a progressive tendency to these compositions, a will to explore various musical embellishments. Times And Unknown Waters is very impressively packaged with images of isolation, decay (emotional and physical) and despondency gracing the booklet further emphasizing the emotions the music gets across. Lyrics are written from an introspective point of view, allowing one to dig deep into the soul of each composition. Elegantly produced, this is an album for those December Souls who are on the search for a new soundtrack for the cold and dark journey of life...

"...melancholy flows like wine in the river of hope..."

This review is credited to:
palewake