review by: Roberto Martinelli

Everyone can stop laughing at Dwell Records now. The label that for the past two years has been putting out one tribute album after another, mostly featuring completely unheard of bands on their label as a tactic to get people to hear those bands play, have finally started releasing actual albums of original material to take note of.

Quietus is a stellar album of doom metal. It's exactly the kind of doom that my ears wanna hear. It's not retro 70's stoner doom, it's not get-my-hanky-cause-the-violins-are-gonna-start-playing doom, it's slow, crushing heavy metal doom. It's very, very slow, but the beats hit hard. The songs are so steeped in doom atmosphere; you can feel every powerful vibe deep in your gut.

I had read before that this band is so slow they're boring. Hell no! The boring stuff to me is Katatonia and My Dying Bride. Evoken is heavy stuff. The band does use keyboards, but it's in such a way that they greatly enhance the music.

Imagine what it feels like to be within the shockwave range of a giant church bell tolling. That's what listening to Quietus feels a bit like. The blissful weight of the music is made even better by the churning growls of the vocals. The vocalist's sound is so low and rich, I dare call it beautiful in it's own way. Doom metal that I can get into may be rare, but if albums like this keep coming along with some regularity, that'll be ok with me.