November is Doom - Aiwaz : "Darrkh… It Is!"

Here is the full-length debut from this German duo that features the vocalist from Wheel, handling vocals. Harsher vocals surface midway into this song, the bulk of the vocals up to this point have been sung with a velvety croon. With a ten and a half minute opening track, they are not shy about being indulgent. This sort of thing languishes rather than hits you with hooks, so the song floats along elegant dark waters. Then on the second song things take a turn toward a more folk-inflected ballad with "The Ghost That Once Was I". It does kick in almost like one of Metallica' power ballads though the vocals do not gather that kind of hard rock grit, they continue to flow fluidly over everything. Make no mistake they are painting the doom mood with the pace being kept, and despite this not being as dark as the first song it's not upbeat either. 

"In this Silence": finds the bleak vocal melody feeling more fragile, it's darker than the previous song which I appreciate, but almost drifts by in its own cloud. There is the chug of heavier guitar that crops up in a few passages here and there. Midway in I realize this is a nine-minute song, making me wonder where they are going from here. The answer is to lay into the chords a little harder and build things up..Not a huge dynamic shift, but the growled vocals make it heavier. "Cemetary of Hearts' is more soaring and the guitar plays a little more traditional role though the atmospheric nature of what they do does not feel like metal. 

With a title like "Garden of Despair," I am expecting this song to be heavier. It started with a more hushed vocal like we were going into a Queensryche ballad. This guy has a great voice for sure. There is also some impressive guitar work that unfolds, but not a heavy song. It is not unlike the Swallow the Sun album I just reviewed in this regard. The album closes with 'When Judas Spins the Wheel". It does find more of a chugged riff to drive it. This creates a more epic doom feel not unlike Solitude Aeturnus. The vocal melody is one of the album's strongest. I will give this one a 9.5 as it is very well done, and they put melody first with great singing to drive the point home. 

5.7