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THE KNOWING - REVIEWS
Novembers Doom "The Knowing" - 2001
Embers online Metal Magazine - www.embers.nu
The Christmas season always fills me with melancholy. Usually I then grasp for My Dying Bride's "The Angel And The Dark River" or Ecstatic Fear's "A Sombre Dance", yet with November Dooms' "The Knowing" the Santa brought me something new this this year to put alongside the aforementioned classics. This CD both lyrically and musically brings such a soothing melancolic ruse upon me, that it hasn't left my CD-player the last two weeks. "The Knowing" just is an utterly briliant album which can easily withstand a comparision with the work of the three great European doom-metalbands Paradise Lost, Anathema and My Dying Bride. It's easy to pigeon-hole "The Knowing" as a My Dying Bride-like album, but then again, I have never heard a doom-metalband from across the ocean bring such quality as My Dying Bride. Although the influence of the classical doom-metalbands is clearly audible, it doesn't pose any problems I think. Novembers Doom bring their own music with their own sound, and that sound just happens to be a mixture of MDB's doomish louder music, later Anathema's emotional accustic music, a wisp of psychedelica (as in "The Silent Tomorrow" for example) and a good dose of originality and emotion. This combination can be heard in most of the songs individually, as well as in the CD as a whole. As a matter of fact, "The Knowing" is a sort of musical melancholic poem which should be heard as a whole lest it doesn't communicate its full sound and meaning. Slower songs (like the beautiful intro-track "Awaken" or "Intervene") often are a sort of prelude to the louder tracks (like for example "Harmony Divine"). On the other hand the softer tracks often function as a sort of emotional elaboration of the theme of the louder ones. This same organic structure can also be found within some songs on themselves, as in "Searching the Betrayal" for example. This song begins with the warm sound of a distortionless electric guitar and the bass, accompanied by some male vocals. Then the female vocals bring a very free variation on the first theme, closely accompanied by the electric guitar. Then suddenly the drums kick in with distortion guitars and male vocals. The whole then drops silent again, except for the bass and the drums. The female vocals then sound double layered at times, bringing another variation on the first theme. The first theme then is repeated in full distorion arrangement to drop silent again with only bass and electric guitars. Just brilliant how this song (and most of the songs) manage to bring forth so much power with so little aggressive playing. There are also some more typically doom-sounding songs as "Harmony Divine", "Shadows of Light" or "Last God" for example. Especially this last one reminds me of MDB's great days of "Turn Loose The Swans" with its low speed, typical guitar interplay and grunt vocals. Still this song shows a lot of originality too when it suddenly features only bass guitars, drums and non-distorted electric guitars accompanied by French female vocals. During this slower part often some distorion chords prelude the louder ending of the song which features again distortion guitars, grunts, screams and doomy guitars. As by now it may be clear Novembers Doom doesn't bring the typically chorus-refrain-chorus-songs, but rather poetry accompanied by organically built-up musical arrangements. As I mentioned before I even noticed a wisp of psychedelica. I know many (amongst which probably the band too) won't agree with that, but the drums, bass and soft guitar arrangements sometimes (especially in "The Silent Tomorrow") really have a touch of psychedelica imho. The variation goes even further with the commercial-sounding "In Faith" or with "In Memories Past" which sounds at times rather like stonerrock than doom-metal. All this variation just makes the whole better I think. If I consider the individual musical achievements of the bandmembers I must say they never dazzle me, yet when the quintet plays together, it surpasses the qualities of each individual. If I do have to choose certain musicians which sound better than the rest, I'd say I would choose the bass-player for her groovy rhythmic playing and the male vocalist for his wide variety of vocal qualities. The lyrics, then, are pure poetry as we could expect of a great doom-metalband. They're rather in the style of MDB, yet always balancing on the edge of pure pessimism, whereas MDB mostly goes a lot further than just pessimism. The lyrics mostly are quite comprehensible, yet their message isn't always completely transparent. For example the lyrics of the first track ("I will die some day, until that day, I embrace the knowing.") sound completely different than those of the fifth ("I want to live my life once more"). This only makes the lyrics richer imo. Illustrate these lyrics in a booklet with artwork of Travis Smith (Death, Katatonia,...) and you've got yourself a real bundle of poetry on music carried by melancholic emotion. Utterly brilliant !
Lycanthrope 96/100
Novembers Doom "The Knowing" - 2000 - U. Amtey
http://angelcities.com/members/noverebus/rev/novdoom1.html
This group of musicians has almost always been compared (to their detriment, I believe) to the British triumvirate of doom metal bands: Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Anathema; and when so many people in so many different locals, situations, and scenarios latch on to a catch-phrase like this, it tends to become overwhelming - or something that's increasingly difficult to escape. While I know that this band probably does admire the work of those artists from across the Ocean, I am also fairly sure that they would rather just be known for their own abilities and for having their own sound. Who wouldn't want this? In all fairness, I don't see why this album shouldn't achieve that reputation for them, as it is a quantum leap forward in terms of their songwriting and lyrical ability, technical skill, and the effortless establishment of a viable/original musical identity. To tell you the truth, I have never heard much of the British Three in this band - maybe a little My Dying Bride at times, but that's it. What started all of this? Perhaps it was the advertising that their old label Martyr used that quoted Andy from the aformentioned band praising them...I don't know. I don't think it matters. And so while they are still trapped underneath this stigma (the promo envelope features a quote from a Metal Maniacs review of their material which starts with an admirable example of doublespeak: 'There are many bands similar to Novembers Doom, yet there is no band quite like Chicago natives.' (what?) and which references once again the tired cliche, I am convinced with this monumental (63 minutes long) release that this uniquely talented assemblage of scene stalwarts will move far beyond such stale reminders and asides and build a new category for themselves in the minds of those who give notices of such things. If not, it is the fault of the 'critics', not of the band. Novembers Doom have expanded their range tremendously with this new music, as if they took a long hard look at their style/sound and all of its idiosyncratic elements and decided to build upon each reserve of originality they possessed. For one thing, their sound has opened up very wide here - no longer, I believe, can they be pigeon-holed into one scene's 'aesthetics' or style, and they draw from a large sampling of influences and/or sources of inspiration to forge a palette that is almost never colored with repetition, from the darker/heavier doom sounds of songs such as 'Shadows of Light' or the crawling 'Last God' (my second favorite song on this album, next to the achingly beautiful 'Aura Blue') to the atonal/minor chord slashings and chaotic instrumentation of 'Harmony Divine', from the classic metal grooves or Sabbathisms of 'In Memories Past', to the piano and clean guitars of 'Silent Tomorrow' and its cousin remix at the close of this disc. For the most part, this is a wide-open, lilting, mourning series of musical passages that flows together in a protracted listening without any real interruptions. In fact I believe this is probably the best way to listen to this album: straight through, from beginning to end, with little in the way of distractions if you can avoid it. After a few such sessions it will become very clear to you just how much of their own passion and personalities this band has put into this album, and its sheer weight of conviction should persuade you of the seriousness of their art. One of the most remarkable things about these songs is their easy, slow-breathing, relaxed sense of pace and the mastery with which they are built, time and time again, from the ground up: each song, for the most part, starts slowly and then knits itself wearily together, seemingly drawing musical elements out of the air to form the flesh of a moving, living sound organism. The band displays a new confidence of melodicism here, opting for clean guitars and an 'open' acoustic sound when they can use it to add depth, space, and emotion to the proceedings. All of these songs, also, run through a variety of feelings and atmospheres: they seem to ebb and recede, to fold and unfold new vistas to explore, like the movement of waves over a constantly-changing sea surface. It is the 'ease' of this process that convinces me, more than anything else, of the immense amount of work that must have gone into the composition of this material... So, to sum up, I feel I have to congratulate this band based simply on the courage and creativity they show here...but added to that is my sincere admiration for their talent and their eloquent songwriting ability. If you are in any way a fan of the doom metal genre or an enthusiastic supporter of the more progressive elements of the dark music scene, then you must at least listen to this...you will be impressed...
Novembers Doom "The Knowing"
Mikko Kuronen
Everything is beauty. A new album hitting the stores on Halloween and with their yearly reign of thirty days still ahead, Novembers Doom could do a lot worse I thought when I received this CD from Dark Symphonies on October the 31st. It is music for the time when the sky darkens at four p.m. and you do not feel like putting the electric lights on. Then The Knowing will glow in the blue darkness. It will show way to what seems to always be a sensitive experience yet every time of a different kind: the listening experience with this very album in the player. I estimate that I listened to The Knowing about eight times in the first three days that it was in my possession. Yet more than a superlative listening experience The Knowing is a literary pinnacle, a paramount with lyrics so touching that you will gasp every other second and shed a tear the other. Today I shed tears when I listened to Searching the Betrayal. Many of you would probably argue this but to me The Knowing, lyrically, portrays superbly what I am always in search of in poetry, the emotion. What is more, The Knowing dispels any sense of dishonesty lurking in me when I begin listening to it. Every time. It is like a purifying machine. An emotional purifying machine! At first I thought I should only use the lyrics of the first track Awaken to review The Knowing: "My eyes open with dawn. The sun shines on my face. I will die someday, until that day, I embrace the knowing." And that is exactly how it is.
Novembers Doom "The Knowing"
Tom Edmondson
Critical Metal dot com http://www.criticalmetal.com
My cousin raved to me about this group a couple of years ago. Now I know why. November's Doom may be one of the most musically adept Metal bands in existence. One thing is firm in my mind, they possess a very rare talent. On the one hand they play with a great deal of finesse and beauty, on the other hand they also play with a great deal of power and aggression. They have crafted 12 very diverse and well polished tunes which have moments of breath taking beauty counterbalanced with sheer power. ÒAwakenÓ begins the CD with a sort of melancholy and reserved tone which intensifies slightly with the next two tunes, ÒHarmony DivineÓ and ÒShadows of LightÓ. ÒInterveneÓ begins and once again we become calm and still. But be careful with this tune. You may get so caught up in the quiet simplicity of this acoustic guitar piece that you might not realize what a musician the person is who wrote it. Some bands put in acoustic pieces where a guy hits a couple of strings on an acoustic guitar. No so with this tune. It is a real composition by an educated musician. This much is undeniable. Next comes the best tune of the album, "Silent Tomorrow". Though it isn't necessarily in the exact middle, this is the tune which I think the album hinges on. It is a perfect blend of acoustic beauty, spoken vocals and then heavy Òwall of soundÓ guitars and growl. Each song which follows is similar and reaches an emotional climax in the song ÒLast GodÓ which is the most intense song I've heard since Ò on Cathedral's Forest of Equilibrium album. Then the album unwinds with ÒIn Memories PastÓ which has some beautiful female vox, ÒThe Day I ReturnÓ which has some beautiful piano, and then ÒAura BlueÓ, a last shot at intensity. But that's not all, the CD actually ends with a remix of ÒSilent TomorrowÓ which is also cool. Friends, it is the end of 2000 but I may just have to say that this album is a serious contender for album of the year. I am very intrigued by the lyrics on this album. They sound rather positive, but I suspect that there is a note of existentialism here. In any case, the lyrics fit the music like a glove making this one of the most musically perfect albums I own. And you know what? It may be Japanese of them, but they have taken someone else's product and improved upon it. ND sound a lot like some great British bands, i.e., My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, and especially like Ashen Mortality. But November's Doom seems to have created a much more satisfying product than the aforementioned bands have done. But while those other bands feel constrained to alter their sound into something more commercially accessible, November's Doom are clearly focused on Metal. And while the comparison's stick, it should be argued that November's Doom sound like their own band. Bottom line: you'd be a fool not to get it!
Novembers Doom "The Knowing"
Grendel, issue 5
http://internettrash.com/users/grendel666/main.html
This band is often compared to Britdoom gods like Anathema and My Dying Bride (it says so right on the promo) and it's quite easy to see why. Novembers Doom's sound recalls the midpoint periods of bands like these, when they were beginning to experiment away from the brutality of their early work and move into more melodic areas. So The Knowing at times brings to mind Turn Loose the Swans or Shades of God--epic, energetic doom metal that moves rather than sludgily crushing (see Skepticism or Winter). The comparison also works in terms of the vocals, because for every later Aaron-style clean passage (as in the wrenching "Silent Tomorrow"), there is another song with enough corroded growls to strike a balance and keep all the doom fans happy. This dual approach keeps things from becoming tedious and allows Novembers Doom to explore a wider range of emotional expression within the songs. The lyrics appear to be of the lovelorn variety, an entirely appropriate subject for such downbeat music, and the shifting vocal approach, from anger to misery and back, is definitely the best vehicle for the subject matter. The songs themselves are extremely well-crafted and catchy, atmospheric and varied and undeniably heavy. Oddly enough for a doom band, there is very little in the way of slow dirge here...most of the material moves along at quicker tempos, but still retains an unbelievable aura of power and sadness, the latter primarily due to the vocals and the graveyard colouring the leads provide. There just aren't many bands that sound like this anymore and there were never very many who could pull it off as well as Novembers Doom have. If you're a fan of this style, you will not fail to enjoy this.
Novembers Doom "The Knowing"
John Chedsey
Satan Stole My Teddy Bear
The biography of Novembers Doom claims they originate from Chicago but it is more than apparent upon listening to The Knowing that their muses are flown in direct express from somewhere in Europe. In an American climate of hip-hop and nu-metal, it is profoundly amazing to find a band that is pursuing an entirely different sound and even more startling that they do it so well. While one can hear strains of those well known doom metal artists of Anathema, Paradise Lost and others, Novembers Doom creates a sound that is reminiscient of others but in the end all their own. The Knowing is a wonderfully diverse album that captures a wide array of moods in varying degress of heaviness and transluscent atmospheric passages. As a result, the album flows ever so nicely and never becomes bogged down in any one brainlocked idea. The band uses a variety of approaches, from mid paced heavy crunching numbers that tend to remind me a bit of Edge of Sanity in their prime (particularly the growled vocals that surprisingly well enunciated) to somber cleaner passages. Female vocals do make an appearance from time to time as well as warm gothic clean male vocals. The most important thing the band does well is write songs that are dynamic and breathing. Regardless of whether they are approaching ultra-heavy doom dirges or lighter, airy passages, the music is exceptionally strong. The band knows how to incorporate a memorable melody, whether it is vocally or within the instruments. The production allows for the instruments to all have their proper space and crystal sharp clarity without sounding entirely too glossy. Nearly every track here is excellent, with "Silent Tomorrow" and "In Memories Past" perhaps standing out just a tad more. I've been playing this album nonstop since receiving it and can safely encourage anyone who is into doom, goth or "emo" metal to rush out to find a copy. This band can definitely stand alongside any Euro-doom metal band and perhaps even teach them a few tricks.
Novembers Doom "The Knowing"
reviewed by Matthew
Starvox magazine
There is indeed something downright bleak about the eleventh month of the year, and this Chicago outfit live up to the depressive expectations that their moniker would suggest. I was first introduced to November's Doom via their three track EP ÒFor Every Leaf That FallsÓ in late 1997. As expected, a promising release of stark and minimalist dark metal was presented, with an influence that recalled early nineties British Goth/Doom such as Paradise Lost and the gruff vocalled years of My Dying Bride.Ê Since then, the band has released a full-length release entitled ÒOf Sculptured Stone and Ivy Flowers,Ó which I have unfortunately never had the pleasure to hear.Ê More recently however, November's Doom signed to Dark Symphonies Records and this past Halloween marked the release of their third full-length CD, ÒThe Knowing.Ó As proven in our feature this month, ÒThe Hand Of Doom,Ó Doom metal is a thriving genre with several talented contributors and hosts of worthy competitors.Ê Though November's Doom fit snuggly within the genre and their music is tastefully touched by popular Gothic metal bands, they truly do offer a unique voice and sprout a branch all their own.Ê The music isnot drenched in over zealous keyboard work, but is instead coloured by dense layers of dirty grunge guitar.Ê The techniques employed invoke the same despondent atmosphere of twin lead guitar harmonies, but there is a thicker, impenetrable veil of distorted, polyrhythmic chording that sets the band apart quite a bit.Ê The only band that I can even slightly compare it to would be to the funereal masters Skepticism, yet November's Doom is much more accessible and melody oriented. The sonic forgery of guitar is impressively multi-faceted, broken occasionally for murky clean arpeggios and quiet acoustics.Ê The diversified yet universal atmosphere is also aided in countless vocal shifts, from guttural death growls, clean Gothic vocals, spoken word, and a few unexpected and interesting surprises.Ê If the music of November's Doom doesn't solidify their reign in the genre, I think some will be delighted to find the lyrics are delivered in a poignant and straightforward way. Despite the respected novelty of archaic and flowery poetic devises in this genre, the band instead opts for a more personal and modern confessional style yielding to a vulnerable rawness. The profound opening of the CD perfectly prepares the listener for what lies ahead. ÒAwakenÓ is a short, somber track that begins with watery guitars and spoken word that builds to a beautiful cascade of harmony.Ê There are several standout tracks, and I can easily site the epic ÒLast GodÓ as my favourite.Ê An excruciatingly slow intro is accented by distant, morose vocal harmonies that have a ghostly, choir like effect.Ê The overwhelming intro picks up slightly in pace, spiriting the song toward a painful lamentation delivered in grieved death vocals.Ê The beginning of this song is what doom metal is all about.Ê It is the absolute embodiment of desolation in a musical outlet.Ê Utterly perfect, and the remaining movements of the track contain a forlorn passage of clean guitar and layers of female recitation. This song alone makes the album a triumph. But there are other moments of course, such as the narrative gloom of ÒSearching The Betrayal,Ó where bassist Mary Bielich's (of Mythic fame, for those in the know) vocal talents get their longest spotlight.Ê Her vocals are well-done and eloquently restrained, carrying a simple yet wounding melody, without attempting to overstep into an operatic forum; she just speaks her heart and breaks yours in the meantime. The surprising ÒIn Memories PastÓ is a slight experiment for the band I would belief, and easily the album's most upbeat track.Ê This song is a prime example of the unpredictability of November's Doom.Ê The song hearkens back to the groove-oriented sound of Sabbath and also stirs in a helping of contemporary stoner metal.Ê Furthermore, there is also a tinge of subtle alternative flavour with the verses of the song, which remind me of guitar driven indie rock acts like Hum or Sunny Day Real Estate.Ê Strange, but I give November's Doom sincere props for variety, and though these accessible elements are used, they are done so with a craft that does in no way defy the Gothic doom sensibility of the band.Ê I also hope that the melodic male vocal style employed for this song is something to be resurrected in the band's future. Finally, another of the band's stronger songs, the ballad ÒSilent TomorrowÓ appears in two slightly different versions on the first 2000 copies of the CD.Ê Neither mix features death vocals, which might help the band touch into more traditional Gothic realms.Ê The songs differ only at the chorus, where in the original mix, electric guitars provide the climax for the chorus while in the Òdark edit,Ó classical piano replaces the guitars for a more ethereal atmosphere. November's Doom is an excellent addition to the doom genre, and has earned a lasting place among the greats.Ê Admittedly, I do not find them as emotionally intense or Romantically draining as some other leading Goth Metal acts, they are without a doubt graced with countless powerful and memorable moments in their music (as heard in the centerpiece of this release, ÒLast GodÓ) that will inevitably strike fans worldwide.
Novembers Doom "The Knowing"
MetalDeath
http://www.metaldeath.net/reviews/the_knowing.html
I had relatively little knowledge of this band before receiving this CD. All I can say is that I was really missing out. For those of you who do not know of this band, this is a doom band from Chicago, with a sound and style all their own, and that's no lie. This album is very depressing and dark, both musically and lyrically. The closest comparison I can come up with is Paradise Lost or Opeth, and this band is in my opinion just as dark as the more established bands. The songs often have clean guitar parts thrown in for melody, and a mixture of both clean and growling vocals, and male and female, placed effectively to enhance the mood of the song. The music is generally slow but has faster sections, but there is never any blasting or unwarranted speed. This album is in the end, a very well thought out and talented display of despair and emptiness. If you haven't heard this band and you are a fan of depressing dark doom metal, you should do yourself a favor and check this band out, you should find them very interesting. My favorites on this disc are Harmony Divine, Shadows of Light, Searching the Betrayal, and The Day I Return.
Novembers Doom "The Knowing"
The Metal Observer
http://www.metal-observer.de/gb/reviews/rev144.html
Their debut "Amid Its Hallowed Mirth", which already had been released in 1994/5, was rather featureless Doom/Death, which held next to no characteristics at all. From this line-up only vocalist Paul Kuhr remains, whereas I have to say that I don't know their second album "Of Sculptured Ivy And Stone Flowers". "The Knowing" starts out doomy and melancholic with "Awaken"; which posts a pleasant beginning. The following "Harmony Divine" in its essence for sure is the expected Doom/Death, yet far more varied than the debut, with different tempi, varied vocals and dynamics that you miss only too often in this sub-genre, which is once more proved by "Shadows Of Light". "Searching The Betrayal" surprises with some female vocals and calm instrumentation before the doom-monster is let loose and the nine-minute-epic "Last God" shows all facets of NOVEMBERS DOOM, from aggressive and doom/deathy to very calm and slow-paced with clean vocals, some spoken word and light, almost clean guitars. Who is still searching for the suiting soundtrack for autumn, might have found it in "The Knowing", dark and melancholic, yet never drab, slow, yet never boring... 7.5 out of 10
Novembers Doom "The Knowing"
Darkwave Radio
New band signed by USA's Dark Symphonies, Novembers Doom released their third CD, the previous albums was released by Avantgarde Music and Martyr Music Group, and it seems with Dark Symphonies, label that is specialised in this kind of music, the band found a full stability. This new release from Novembers Doom is always in the same musical way than the previous CDs that is to say a doom / death music influenced by the British doom-metal scene (Anathema, My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost) with some influences of bands such early Katatonia and Moonspell. Novembers Doom, in opposition of these bands, develops others musical ways with uses of acoustic passages or piano effects. A great CD, in Europe, there is the British doom-metal scene, USA has the excellent Novembers Doom.
Novembers Doom "The Knowing"
Alan Christensen - Heavy Metal Lives
Novembers Doom hail from Chicago IL, and this is their fourth release. The street date for this CD was October 31st, the same as the new Cradle Of Filth.Ê Halloween made a great release date for foreboding evil Cradle Of Filth CD, and at first I was expecting something almost as demonic from Novembers Doom, but I was quickly surprised to hear something less menacing. For you see, Novembers Doom plays modern Doom metal, similar to Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Anathema. All three bands are some of the best British Doom metal artists, and it has been said in the past that Novembers Doom is one of the few bands from America with the same talent. This is the first time I have heard of this band, and I was shocked to discover their first release "Amid It's Hallowed Mirth" was released on Avantgarde/Nuclear Blast Records, that fact alone immediately interested me. Since the release of their debut, they have shifted labels, and are now on Dark Symphonies. ÊÊÊÊÊAnyway, about "The Knowing." At first, I found the CD a very difficult listen, not because of an untalented band, but becauseof the dense lyrical content of the album, along with the moods/emotions displayed herein. The lyrics contain many aspects of human life, and the music ranges throughout many speeds to display the in-depth look at humanity. "The Knowing" drifts in and out of sweeping doom passages, with death metal sounding vocals, spoken philosophical passages, and back to the churning doom/death effect. Novembers Doom pulls out all the stops to keep this release diverse, and the listener on thsome time to spare, and let the music engulf you, this is a perfect release. The music featured here must fully be soaked into your soul to get the full effect, it's diverse, and shouldn't be taken lightly. My favorite songs are "Silent Tomorrow", a very diverse and meaningful song, and "In Faith". Doom metal has evolved since the days of Trouble and Candlemass, now Novembers Doom is being called veterans of the doom/death metal genre, I would say the praise is well deserved after hearing this release. 8/10
Novembers Doom "The Knowing"
Menelaos Megariotis http://www.metal-realm.com
An impressive album came out on October's 31st and the ones of you who find pleasure in acts such as Dark Tranquillity and the alike dark atmospheric death metal groups should run and buy The Knowing asap! An enchanting set of songs characterised by inspiration and very succesful arrangements. Very clear production is another bonus. The songs have a high average level, with some of them standing even higher! Influences by My Dying Bride are quite obvious (mainly in the, many, spoken parts and in the somewhat oriental riffs). A release which stands on the top (or at least thereabout) of the atmospheric death works, as it combines inspiration with interpretation: Most bands pay attention only to one of the two - Novembers Doom not only know how to write music, but also know how to play it! Last thing to add is that a limited edition of the CD includes the dark edit of Silent Tomorrow, which happens to be the best song of the album, so my advice is: RUN!!! 8.5/10
Novembers Doom "The Knowing"
The Renewal WebZine (translated from German)
In bief - albums such as "The Knowing" are rare these days. The plain description "dark doom and death" does by far not match what this Chicago quintett is all about, because such an emotional and intense album wouldn't be possible with just the mentioned ingredients. After the debut "Amide Its Hallowed Mirth" in 1995 these Americans (feat. vocalist Paul Kuhr, the guitarists Eric Burnley and Larry Robert, drummer Joe Nunez and bassplayer Mary Bielich) released 2 two more albums and now, in the year 2000 we come into the benefit of the new disk, The Knowing. The music of November Doom is labeled as a combination of Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema. Bringing in these great bands at the same time as these comparisons speaks of a solid self-confidence. But November Doom are allowed to have it as The Knowing turned out as a fantastic album. If you'd like a reference to the band name then you could bring the individual titles with in connection with the month November. The different tendencies and themes which are line up here smoothly could describe the weather of this "incalculable" month. At times the sun shines, other times an icy wind blows through empty roads. It could happen that first snowflakes pour from the sky or a storm breaks loose or a dark and depressing day is coming. November Doom proceeds exactly in accordance with this principle. At time aggressive, then again rather quietly, laid-back and relaxed, suddenly again depressive or melancholy. The guitars change from deathish riffing to relaxing, undistorted acoustic inserts, which sound raher rocking, bluesy or also jazzy, and naturally also in reverse. Drummer Nunez knows obviously knows that one cannot only thrash the kit into pieces and changes his style like his colleagues at the strings. Bass player Mary Bielich does a great job too, without loosing the song out of sight.Otherwise the whole thing would not function at all. Paul Kuhr, the vocalist, uses in addition his voice in just as various ways as the band colleagues their instruments. At times he speaks only, then he sings a little, and when the music requires it, he growls like a world champion. It remains a secret who played the nice piano parts, but they always suit the songs. As a listening tip I recommend the pretty aggressive Shadows OF Light, the dreamy silent Tomorrow and the totally easy Faith, or differently said, I don't want to see anyone of you, before you've purchased this album. It's a masterpiece . The first two titles can by the way be downloaded on the web page of the band as mp3 files. The Renewal WebZine
