Review: Apostate – Time of Terror
Mar 23
Apostate – Time of Terror (Ferrum Records; Doom/Death)
Perhaps it is only appropriate that one of Ukraine’s longest running (though not continuously) merchants of doom and death metal have only just released their second album since its conception nearly 22 years ago in 1993. After all, a release schedule like that certainly fits the the often slow and anguished burn of their signature sound, at least when the band is indulging in their doomier side rather than the raucous blackened death metal they can unleash just as easily. While variety may not be the key feature here, the album does offer some pleasing brutality that is kept up for the duration of the listen.
The group’s sophomore record, Time of Terror, is a slow burner from the start; opener ‘Solar Misconception’ is a dirge-like crawler with a grand and doleful chord progression tainted with genuinely anguished growls. The song trudges along for a doom-appropriate ten minutes with a subtle evolution over time, picking up towards the tail-end with some fire. This is essentially the game-plan for the record as a whole; a plodding funeral procession peppered with some fits of fury here and there. The tracks that follow, namely ‘Pale Reflection’ and ‘Memory Eclipse’ feel like little more than slight variations on the theme, though that isn’t to say the entire affair is boring or lackluster by any means. The mix of agonized doom and blackened death metal is executed to good effect; the songs all burn pleasingly well through the speakers and convey a rough-around-the-edges brutality that compliment the style. Production here isn’t exactly hi-fi, though the grittiness does seem to fit the bill, especially during the more intense moments when there’s an absolute cacophony and the mix starts to break up (most songs on the album almost formulaically build to a double-kick wall of death around the 8-9 min mark).
The main issue with Time of Terror is ultimately the lack of depth. The album sets a theme from the first song and stays on script for the duration of the spin with little deviation. The group’s sound is pleasing for its crushing delivery, but unfortunately it’s simply not exploited to any great depth. In essence, the record suffers from the oft-seen ‘doom syndrome’ of uninteresting song structuring over the course of the whole listen. However, that shouldn’t keep Apostate’s second offering from being listened to, as most death/doom fans will be able to find something worthwhile in a few spins of the album; the scathingly anguished crypt-growls, crushing guitars, and pounding drums are more than adequate for a solid head-banging session.
6/10
