October Tide
A Thin Shell

For some years now, within metal, some trends already present in other genres have established themselves: one of these "new" dispositions is that of side projects, that is, parallel groups created by some members of different bands with the goal of giving free rein to their creativity, as often happens with those musicians who find themselves somehow "marginalized" in their "mother" band and decide to set up a side project to impose their own ideas and musical tastes. Several have emerged, among which (just to mention some of the more well-known ones) Rainbow, Freedom Call, Demons & Wizards, and many others that could make the list go on indefinitely.

October Tide is precisely one of those countless musical "projects" born in past years: they emerged in the '90s thanks to two members of Katatonia who decided to embark on this new experience. Thus, Jonas Renkse and Fredrik Norrman began the career of October Tide, who released their first album, titled "Rain without end" in 1997. After some lineup changes, in 1999 they birthed the group's second creation, "Grey Dawn," which was unable to replicate the success of the previous work. Since that year, many things have changed, so much so that to see them back in action, one had to wait until 2010, when Candlelight Records released the third chapter of the Swedish band: "A thin shell".

As it is natural, behind this project moves the dark shadow of the masters Katatonia, which is why the death/doom offered by October Tide is, at least in part, influenced by the dark magic of the ex-Lord Seth. This reason partly evaporates the curiosity of listening to an album of this type, which appears labeled from the start. However, the prejudice applied does not obscure an album that, for better or worse, is still positive. The voice, entrusted to the singer Tobias Netzell (also vocalist of In Mourning) fits perfectly with the band's sound, which compared to the past, partly abandons the melancholy of doom and ventures more into the power of melodic death. Moreover, an excellent production enhances the guitars of Fredrik Norrman and Emil Alstermark that throughout the album alternate and complement each other through delicate and melodic guitar work that manages to effortlessly transition to decidedly heavier tones. This, however, does not ensure the complete success of this album which, although it features all the above-mentioned good elements, remains a fairly indifferent shell to the listener's ear. Good examples of melodic death are the initial "The custodian of science", which alternates melancholic parts with more properly death ones, "Deplorable request", and the cohesive "The dividing line" and "Fragile". Yet, the overall atmosphere is flat, stale. Here and there you can sense the reminiscences of "been heard," with obligatory references to the great bands of the genre. The spark that should trigger emotions, that should elevate the doses of melancholic attention in those who listen to the album, does not ignite. You remain trapped inside that thin shell evoked by the title and cover: inside the music, determined, perfect, too much "studied" and outside the emotional trigger, the pathos.

In the end? Some positive notes, a few well-played and convincing passages, surrounded by an atmosphere that brings nothing with it.

1. "The Custodian Of Science" (7:33)
2. "Deplorable Request" (6:03)
3. "A Nighttime Project" (4:32)
4. "Blackness Devours" (5:15)
5. "The Dividing Line" (5:43)
6. "Fragile" (6:35)
7. "Scorned" (6:33)