Dolorian
Dolorian

A long, narrow corridor designed specifically for those who particularly suffer from claustrophobia. The impression you get is that of emptiness beneath your feet, yet a ceiling that forces you to stay bent. Absurd visions and darkness.

I would say three great music composers, not excessively skilled in technique, but rather in the musical innovation that they bring with their works. It seems absurd that untuned instruments can generate emotions so clearly identifiable. Cold, depression, pain...

So much pain, which is reflected in extremely pessimistic lyrics, not difficult to decipher and often inspired by suicide. The Dolorian are a Finnish band (Anti Ittna Haapapuro, Ari Kukkohovi, Jussi Ontero), the number of members is small but essential. The first handles the vocal and guitar part. The voice is very often whispered, low, submissive, almost I would say resigned. Yes, because if in the first work the inspirations were very close to black metal, now the trend is much more towards dark/doom music, like a cry of pain that transforms into the apathy of the state of abandonment of strength...
The guitars are untuned, not a little I would say, and insist in arpeggios communicating feelings of disorientation along with the keyboards. Riffs that are almost like an outburst are not missing, but they are momentary and often accompanied by some rare growl. Ari Kukkohovi seems to handle the rhythm section alone, bass and drums. A continuous and incessant pulsing that leaves no breath, like a haste to escape from a dark room that causes you to bump into every invisible corner. The latter handles another indispensable musical characteristic, keyboards. Never solos, lots of calm, a very airy sensation and emptiness around. Very often ambient, I would say.

Yet in the contrast between atmospheric keyboards, skittish drums, and repeated arpeggios continuously evolving into non-existent passages creates a unique sensation that I don't want to repeat too much, even though I believe I have already exaggerated with the emotions. The intro "Grey Rain" is a continuous arpeggiated lament that serves to introduce us to "Blue Unknown", a sound evolution that starts from the whisper of the singer/guitarist and continuously worsens into ever greater pain that will lead to desperate riffs with echoes of growl, but never unbearable.
"Hidden/Rising" is an alternation of absolute solitude with rhythmic recovery moments that seem to connect 2 songs that probably alone would have been insignificant. "Cold/Colourless" seems like a monochromatic kaleidoscope that moves a cold, colorless reality very slowly, sliding through the keyboards into a catatonic, almost psychedelic state. Slowly, with the track "Nails" instrumental and dragged, the visions end with sleep.

But then the usual Ari Kukkohovi preannounces "Numb Lava", which melts the torpor with its warm riffs, almost red I would say. Yes, the colors change and the blue-black transforms into a red-yellow that warms the listener. The sensation is precisely that of having climbed a volcano: after the effort, the cold of the ice above it, you plunge into the unexpectedly boiling crater, red with lava, indeed. After the trip to the center of the earth, another instrumental interlude, "Ambiquous Ambivalence" momentarily extinguishes the fire to project us into a state again of black resignation. A recurring theme, since this is certainly not music suited for a mass audience made of smiling faces and masks of deceit.

The pain does not cease, therefore, but wants to extinguish slowly through the 9 minutes and more of "Seclusion", not without moments of musical despair. Everything finally concludes with "Faces", a sort of gentle snowfall on everything that remains stationary at the end of a defeat.