Blazing Eternity
A World to Drown In
7.4
Denmark goth rockers Blazing Eternity have made the change that so many bands before them make as time goes on. Their sound has been softened and refined, while once harsh vocals have been cleaned up. The harsh growl of Peter Mesicknow has been totally eliminated, replaced by the sterile, soft vocals of guitarist Morton Lybecker. Lybecker's voice fits the somber music quite well, but I wish his voice were a bit more distinctive. A World to Drown In features loads of lightly amplified leads with acoustic guitar backings and occasional keys drift in and out. The highlight of the album is the title track. A long ambitious effort, it's also the heaviest track to be found, but that's not saying much. The guitar work immediately brings to mind recent Katatonia, particularly their Last Fair Deal Gone Down album. The guitar tone is very similar, along with the melancholic composition of the leads. The chorus burrows its way into your head, accentuated by faint female backing vox. It goes on a bit long (8:17) and is a little redundant, but the chorus is so good that I don't really care. Cover Me With Your Eyes is another good one, with drearily flowing leads throughout. There's nothing really upbeat to be found on this album, just sad and emotional tunes. Stars in July is more typical of this album: depressed vocals, mellow acoustic music, not quite slit-your-wrist sad, but a downer nevertheless. Monument is one of those instrumentals that is quiet and totally enveloping to the point where you just have to sit quietly and hear it out. Procession, a dreary as hell instrumental dominated by a solitary piano, fits that same description. In conclusion, Blazing Eternity are wrapped in darkness and are determined to pull everyone down with them. They can effectively create these sad atmospheres, but I'd prefer to see them pursue that Katatonia-like sound that also appears in Don't Tell the World. I've always found that the slightly heavier music moves me more than the really slow and soft stuff. This is perfect music to listen to late at night with the lights dimmed, but be warned: if you're listening while in a heartbroken state, hide the razorblades beforehand.
