Novembers Doom
Into Night's Requiem Infernal

The time has come for Novembers Doom to release something new, and I am absolutely sure that all DeBaser users have been eagerly awaiting this album. No exceptions.
Too bad my statement is meant to be read in the exact opposite way, because, unfortunately, almost no one cares about Novembers Doom. But that is certainly not a valid reason why I should be discouraged from writing about them: on the contrary. I am used to reviews that are read by only a few, very few people: restless souls who, like me, dwell in a hazy, indistinct limbo that is neither "fish nor fowl." And this review is a classic example if there ever was one: even though this band is among the most original and long-lived (with twenty years of career behind it, if I'm not mistaken) in the entire Death/Doom scene, consistently incorporating experimentation and a fusion of different genres at both instrumental and conceptual levels, it is routinely ignored with each release.

The reason is easy to explain, especially when discussing their latest work "Into Night's Requiem Infernal": a complex soundscape largely indebted to the pioneers of the hybrid "genre" employed by Novembers Doom, starting with My Dying Bride and Katatonia, and more recently including Opeth or Insomnium. A Death/Doom with distinctly gothic overtones and recognizable Progressive elements. All of this is elegantly presented without neglecting, in certain instances, to hit the accelerator ("The Harlot's Lie"), thanks also to the use of a rather merciless and well-conceived growl, always present but never too heavy, especially in tracks where it contrasts with clean vocals reminiscent of Aaron Stainthorpe from the "Songs of Darkness, Words of Light" era, like in "A Eulogy for the Living Lost," a manifesto track of the entire album, featuring structures that shift from melodic and poignant to "almost" brutal, with numerous connections to more structured and intelligent Death Metal.

In my opinion, however, the most successful pieces are also those that can be more evidently defined as experimental. Two examples stand out: "The Fifth Day of March," where, incredibly, if one didn't know who they were listening to, they might answer Pink Floyd, and for a band of this genre with their background, this can only be taken as a compliment.
Meanwhile, in "When Desperation Fills The Void," one inevitably recalls and thus names another pillar of music that once belonged to the Doom genre, namely Anathema. However, be careful, here we invoke giants because their influence is indeed obvious but certainly not vulgar or annoying. Rather, we speak of derivations that border on excellence, and that in a song like the aforementioned, reach almost moving peaks of haunting completeness.

Of course, there are no shortage of heavier moments that trace the classic boundaries of Doom/Death, such as the opening track, "Into Night's Requiem Infernal," a fine example of compactness and the right dose of granitic Progressive that gradually, as the minutes pass, becomes an ever-present imprint. Or we can talk about "Empathy's Greed" and its delicate yet simple opening, which then suddenly becomes powerful, structured, and designed to provide a mighty epic injection to the whole track.

In conclusion, this album will certainly not be a hit, just like their previous ones. Perhaps it doesn't even have that ambition: what matters in this context is certainly the quality, which is certainly not lacking in the Novembers Doom camp. Then again, it is not written anywhere that originality, refinement, and the same quality must necessarily correspond to a flood of sales. In fact, I dare say, perhaps without fear of contradiction, that most of the time it is not so.

And so, to the few willing to listen to this album, may they enjoy its most precious moments.