Doubtsower is a one-man Welsh doom metal band and this is his fourth album.
If you have yet to experience the uncommon blackened doom of Doubtsower, then let me recommend you Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul, The Endless Shadow of Despicable Power, and Nothing Reduced to Everything. All are quality slabs of experimental darkness, and all have paved the way for The Past Melts Away with a Sneer.
Doubtsower’s new album finds the artist forging a single monstrous 48-minute song. The foundation of The Past Melts Away with a Sneer is blackened doom, with funeral doom and sludge influences. This has been mixed with an experimental edge, taking in elements of electronica and post-rock, to produce a nightmarescape of epic proportions. It’s atmospheric and immersive, in an otherworldly terrifying way that’s also somehow enticing.
As the song progresses it unveils itself as a highly textured and absorbing work. The doom is thick and grim, yet also contains a world of details, layers, and nuance. I keep returning to these three words – details, layers, and nuance. These came to mind early on when listen to this record, and in many ways define it. There is a lot to take in here, despite how minimal and sparse it can be. Like Khanate, the artist behind Doubtsower knows how to use the space between sounds to maximum effect, creating music that’s dense, but spacious; suffocating, yet vast. A broad canvas is used for Doubtsower’s music, allowing for a range of different brushes and paints to be used.
The Past Melts Away with a Sneer really does sound like a lot has gone into its creation, regardless of the fact that its predecessor only came out last year. This is a superlative work of underground doom metal. It won’t, unfortunately, have wide appeal, but for connoisseurs of the style, this is an utterly essential listen.
Wonderbox Metal 