Albez Duz: The Coming of Mictlan

This LP comes as a bit of a surprise—Iron Bonehead Records usually puts out some pretty crazy stuff; this album, though, is a bit easier on the ears. That's not to say that it's any less challenging or interesting. It's just a different style than those who regularly buy things from this label may expect.

The music here is pretty dark, but it's played at a very slow, deliberate, pace, one that is almost doom-like, but also something else. I'm tempted to call it occult doom rock since that label may cover a lot of the ground. There are also some neofolk elements as well as some dark ambient stuff at play here as well. Having mixed all these elements together, the guys in Albez Duz deliver something best described as reflective and haunting. To me, the music sounds a bit like the kind of music one might here during a very dramatic scene in a movie, the part right after an important character has died and the hero has momentarily fallen into despair, wondering if any future actions are actually worth the effort. I realize that my comparison could refer to lots of different styles. My point, simply put, is that the music here is heavy, slow, and elegiac. Listening to it puts me in a reflective mood, one just on the outskirts of sadness. A lot of the power here comes from the vocal style: it has an incantatory style, a vocal delivery that is half sung, half spoken. It isn't quite a chant, but it has quite a bit of evocative power.

As the track listing makes clear, this is an LP release. I'm not sure if there's a digital release or not, but there usually is. It's worth a listen, especially if you are looking for something moody, dark, and deep.

Track Listing:
A1. Heaven's Blind
A2. Fire Wings
A3. Mictlan
A4. Feathered Snake
B1. Drowned
B2. Servants of Light
B3. Twist in My Sobriety

Added: December 20th 2014
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1460
Language: english

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