Convocation – Scars Across (Review)

Convocation are from Finland and play atmospheric death/doom metal. This is their debut album.

Featuring members of Desolate Shrine and Dark Buddha Rising, this is dark and gloomy death/doom that boasts four colossal tracks lasting 50 minutes in total.

Taking from funeral doom as much as death/doom, this is music that’s heavy and slow, just the way we like it. Scars Across is not just weighty due to its outright heaviness, however; the songs here also have a firm emotive presence too. The music is haunting and atmospheric, with the various melodies, synths, and organs all contributing layers of feeling to the band’s affecting delivery.

The majority of the material is crushingly oppressive, leaking misanthropic hatred and utter misery into the cosmos like there’s a universal shortage of it and Convocation are here to top it up. Moments of lighter resplendence are peppered around the songs too, however, adding a certain type of breathing space from the despair of the band’s main delivery, but even these parts are melancholic and sorrowful.

The vocals, as you’ve probably guessed, are mainly deep deathgrowls that sound like they’re swallowing the sun so that no light remains. These are not the only style of vocal used, however, with some variety being seen in this regard; the ethereal cleans are particularly noteworthy.

For fans of Mournful Congregation, Lycus, Slow, Hooded Menace, Eye of Solitude, etc., but basically Scars Across is a recommended listen for anyone into slow, atmospheric, and emotive music.