Month: June 2018

Second full length for the Czech Self-Hatred, an excellent doom band that made a name for themselves with their 2016 debut Theia. Curiously enough, the two leading bands of the Eastern European scene are released within a short time of each other (despite the presence in the line-up of two members in common, guitarist Aleš Vilingr and drummer Michal Datel Rak): but, while Et Moriemur have taken a path aimed at searching for almost liturgical sounds, Self-Hatred remain faithful to a more atmospheric and direct death doom. These Plzen guys move within the genre with great ease and if, initially, those emotional peaks that were scattered in the previous work seem to be missing, in reality, listening after listening, such elements gradually emerge, becoming indicators of a compositional depth that strongly connotes a sound constantly pervaded by the right degree of tension and darkness. Even the passage to the lyrics in mother tongue is functional to the concept and does not represent any problem (if not of immediate understanding, of course) allowing Self-Hatred to enrich their story with more nuances and increasing, if possible, the dramatic and emotional impact.
The skill of the Czech band lies in their ability to compose a deep and convincing work without having to search for different solutions, risking to get lost in some too much interlocutory passage as happened in some moments to their cousins Et Moriemur. Hlubiny is the album that consecrates Self-Hatred among the best new bands in the melodic death doom field, thanks to a stylistic code that places them in the wake of the major players of the genre, such as When Nothing Remains, to whom they are very close when the poignant melodies take the stage. The couple Konec / Odraz and the final instrumental Epitaf enclose some of the most touching passages and exemplify the goodness of a work that, as a good concept, should still be consumed in one go, without neglecting to do the necessary “repetitions” that will allow you to capture those precious moments that may have initially escaped.

2018 – Solitude Productions