A different way of approaching death doom, while keeping its main characteristics intact, is that offered by Dream Unending, a duo formed by American Justin DeTore (vocals and drums) and Canadian Derrick Vella (guitar, bass and keyboards). Last year’s debut album, Tide Turns Eternal, was already well received, but with this recent Song of Salvation, things get even more interesting, confirming a project that seems to have a certain solidity. The initial long title track unfolds along the coordinates of a dark and sometimes dissonant sound, always characterised by a restlessness that accompanies its changing appearance. The three shorter central tracks show more ethereal characteristics and are marked by the fine guitar work of Vella, capable of moving from liquid arpeggios to solos that are anything but banal in terms of development and melodic load. It is another long track, Ecstatic Reign, that closes the work, highlighting in the initial part connotations not dissimilar from the previous episodes, also thanks to the contribution of a beautiful female voice, to then ripple in coincidence with the return in vogue of DeTore’s growl, supported by the progressive nature of Vella’s guitar. Song of Salvation is an album that needs to be worked on with patience, because it is only after several listens that one is able to get in tune with Dream Unending‘s unconventional approach to the subject matter; this is something that should certainly not frighten death doom listeners, who will find themselves tasting a work rich in content.

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