Somnent – Heirloom (Symphonic Gothic Funeral Doom of Great Frisson)
I had a hefty set of promos to go through for these two current weeks, and the choices were getting tighter as I listened through the selection. Everything was quite good, but I needing things that were different, things that made their presence known in more than just power. Two doom bands in particular caught my attention, but the true choice came down not to the weight of it, but to the emotion. Obviously, this would be Orlando, Florida’s Somnent as you’re staring right at the cover above, but I must add I was hesitant at first because Heirloom reveals there are still bands out there capable of evoking frisson.
After you’ve looked that word up, let me explain. Somnent’s approach to doom leans heavily towards the funeral end, with the important distinction that instead of applying intense levels of labored sound, they mix the symphonic with elements of traditional Gothic. Note here I didn’t state “Goth,” as I mean specifically “Gothic.” Thus, think grandiose and histrionic, yet, in the case of the latter descriptive, certainly not depthless. This is tough with funeral doom, which often relies on dragging the listener down. Somnent, instead, though quite slow in passages, are more interested in developing the leitmotifs of each track, filling them out with flourishes of solos and, quite importantly, clean vocals. They can roar and moan, as needed, but the ability to carry a real voice for this kind of music takes measurable skill that can’t be feigned. Drawing these ideas into the whole that is Heirloom creates a journey, rather than a listen, and this is key to what Somnent is doing, hopefully carried to even greater heights into the future (near perhaps).
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Somnent – Heirloom
Ardua Music
Cover Art: Augusto Peixoto (Iron Doom Design)
4.3 / 5
