3 December 2024
The effect of seasons on human psychology is a well-known fact. We are currently experiencing the winter season, as the sky journeys into shades of gray by detaching itself from light. The trees prefer to retreat inward and shed the leaves—the external limbs of the tree—that were once open to outside. The harsh weather conditions show us that sunny days are temporarily behind us by cold winds that slap our faces, rain that drenches us, snow that freezes and condemns us to ice and eventually mud. It’s not surprising that people with a desire to listen to music tend to gravitate towards melancholic or depressive tones during this time.
Metal listeners, too, often prefer more depressive or melancholic subgenres such as DSBM or doom metal during these seasons. Personally, I often reach for bands like My Dying Bride, Katatonia, Swallow the Sun, Lake of Tears, Empyrium, Tiamat, Silentium, Lifelover, Silencer, Burzum, or Novembre. Funeral doom bands such as Thergothon (RIP), Skepticism, and (ex-) Funeral are surely very suitable names, too. Furthermore, highly influential bands like The Gathering, The 3rd and the Mortal, Theatre of Tragedy and Tristania, who helped define the female vocal incorporated Gothic/death/doom metal subgenre, are still great choices for those seeking melancholic vibes.
Now, let’s talk about Illusions Play, a band formed by Vitaliy, the guitarist of the Istanbul-based Funeral Doom band Anlipnes, who have just released their second album. It’s clear that the members have been inspired by many of the names mentioned above. Unlike the female vocal infused funeral doom metal style of Anlipnes, Vitaliy and his bandmates perform atmospheric death/doom metal in this project.
The band is named after the third album of Shape of Despair, a name that clearly holds significance of the Finnish band for them. I’ve been listening to the album frequently for about two weeks now. While listening, the bands that come to mind the most are Funeral, My Dying Bride, Swallow the Sun, and a little bit of Green Carnation.
Perhaps due to its lengthy duration, the sixth track, “Unformed Existence,” leans more towards funeral doom. Throughout the album, the band preferred a heavy, slow-paced, and brutal atmosphere, combining distorted heavy guitars, clean vocals with frequently used brutal/scream vocals that create an overwhelming effect. Their music is generally built upon guitar melodies, occasionally supported by keyboards, maintaining a melody-driven approach. Their delivery is well-suited to the genre, with a confident, unhurried style that emphasizes what they aim to convey. The musical abilities of the band members are clearly evident, and by covering their faces they’ve opted for the mystery-enhancing image that’s popular in recent years in the metal scene .
Honestly, apart from the album covers that reference the first album (beautiful color palette but poor design), the image that is starting to feel a bit repetitive and lack of originality, this is a solid album. Empire of Desolation and Last Hours are my favorites. For those looking for a well-crafted, meticulously produced doom/death metal album, this is definitely worth checking out. I recommend it.
7,5/10
