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Rating: THE REVIEW
"Endtyme" is not "Forest Of Equilibrium", it is not "In Memoriam", it is not "The Carnival Bizarre", and it is certainly not "Seventh Coming". You might say: "obviously!". And I continue.
"Endtyme" cannot be compared to any of the previous Cathedral albums, much less to the subsequent one, where the band led by the charismatic Lee Dorrian descended into the most monotonous semi-stoner flatness, in absolute anonymity of ideas.
"Endtyme", in fact, is nothing more than a journey into the past, a rediscovery of the band's tremendously doom roots, which had grown and matured quite a bit since 1991. It has a vaguely melancholic vein, but above all, there is that dark and oppressive atmosphere that best suits their compositions, that pitch blackness generated by the slowness of the distortions, and Dorrian's hoarse voice. Yes, okay, the purely "happy-doom" vein, stylistically invented by the group, remains unchanged, and often it seems like you're listening to riffs taken from some heavy metal band here and there, but what matters, what truly counts, is that at the core of this solid work is nothing but doom, doom, and more doom.
The Cathedral reclaim their identity, they delve into the golden pouch for those unforgettable sounds that had made their early works unique, expanding them endlessly with a production as raw as it is clear, throwing in their best melodies and grinding out riff after riff, slow and terribly heavy (listen to "Cathedral Flames", or the following "Melancholy Emperor" to believe it...).
These are the Cathedral of "Endtyme", a band that has resumed its path and apparently intends to maintain its role in the global doom metal scene. Well done.
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Summary by Bot
Endtyme marks Cathedral's return to their deep doom metal roots, shedding the less inspired sounds of previous releases. The album creates a dark, oppressive atmosphere with slow, heavy riffs and Lee Dorrian's hoarse vocals. Its raw yet clear production highlights the band's matured style. Cathedral successfully reclaims their identity with this solid, melancholic, and powerful work.Tracklist Lyrics
Cathedral
Cathedral were an English doom-metal band founded by Lee Dorrian after his departure from Napalm Death. Their early releases are described as extremely slow, oppressive doom, later expanding toward seventies-rooted hard rock, psychedelia, prog touches, and stoner rock nuances. The band’s run is repeatedly framed as spanning roughly 1990 to 2013, ending with the final release “The Last Spire.”20 Reviews
Other reviews
By March Horses
Songs made of mud and tar, sometimes unbearable in their lugubrious distortions, intense but lacking in liberating moments.
An honest work, primordial yet less avant-garde compared to other works by the group.
