This album has actually been out for more than a year, but that's how long it took for me to be persuaded to spend the extra cash on this doom/death import from Norway. Someone told me it reminded them of Amorphis' classic Tales From the Thousand Lakes. Yeah right, I thought (but look, I bought it!). And lo and behold, these guys are astounding! It's like a metal symphony, rhythms and riffs cascading all over the place. The similarities to Amorphis are there alright, from the gravelly but digestible vocals to the grinding grooves to the classical and progressive overtones. I'd say the production and overall sound aren't as lush and mountainous (perhaps due to the lack of keyboards), but it's great enough for me. Schaliach is wonderful. Mid-paced metal alternating between moods of death and doom, well-orchestrated and with lovely lead guitar singing melodically over it all (recalling those beautiful Metallica leads of old). The kind of metal you can actually relax to (at least, I can!). Three instrumentals--one acoustic, one plugged, and one plugged with piano and strings. The lyrics aren't overly creative but they're clear, proclaiming Christ with an emphasis on love. It's amazing that it's only two guys--one doing the vocals and the other everything else, plus a guest on piano and strings for a track or two. Fans of Amorphis, Solitude Aeturnus, and faster doom bands, rejoice! Some Christians have finally created a comparable piece of music. It might take a little effort to find a copy, but of all the metal out there, this is at the top of the list.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Shari LloydI'd been hearing a lot about this release. I became more interested after listening to a few sound bites and hearing the prog feel to it, but not enough to spend twenty dollars. When it turned up for $3.49, though, I wasted no time in snatching it up. I wasn't disappointed, as I was treated to a great progressive metal feast which, although metal, focuses on melody rather than mindless…Critical Mass #0Reviewed by Tom EdmondsonThere is a new generation of Doom metal bands that hail mostly from outside of the United States. Some of them are: Anathema, Celestial Season, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, etc. There aren't too many bands in the Christian music field of this genre--at least that we know of. The only bands that come to mind are: Paramaecium, Veni Domine, and now, Schaliach. Since I believe that doom is by far…Similar sounding releases
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