ShEver - A Dialogue With The Dimensions
Normally i never do reviews of CD's recorded more than a year ago but in the case of ShEver's "A Dialogue With The Dimensions" i had good reason to wait. A simple downloaded version of this EP will never do this band justice, you need quality sound re-production and you need it loud. The problem i had is one that i am sure many readers have experienced themselves, i got ripped off the first time i tried ordering the EP, they took my credit card payment and ran. Nearly a year later i still haven't received that order but i re-ordered from somewhere else and it arrived in a timely fashion. This is a warning for folks out there, be careful who you order through because some are very dodgy and that includes record companies. If you girls from ShEver are reading this, you owe my some money! These four Doom witches and i am sure they will have no problem with me calling them that formed in 2004 with a love for Doom Metal. A 3 track demo titled "The Mirror" was quickly recorded and released followed by a full length album "Ocean Of Illusion" is 2007. The newest release is "A Dialogue With The Dimensions" was recorded in guitarist Jessica's apartment in 2009. Since this recording they have established themselves further with shows at Roadburn and Doom Shall Rise Festivals.
"A Dialogue With The Dimensions" is produced by My Shameful (doom) and Vendetta (thrash) guitarist Mario Hahn and he obviously knows his way around Doom Metal because this is a hell of a powerfully rich, warm recording. ShEver play a droning kind of Funeral Doom that is big on repetition and skull crushing atmospheric riffs with growling, guttural deathly vocals although the third track "Hagazussa" does feature some clean vocals and cries. There is four songs here and all are great but offer very little in terms of variation, they all start calmly enough (for a Funeral Doom band that is) but all build up to a monolithic climatic endings. The whole four excursions into brutally crushing organic doom are all of equal strength but opening track "Transformed Into Sadness" and closing track "High & Turning" finish up a bit more memorable after repeated spins. The latter offers the only real change of pace and feel on the EP with slightly different drum variations and bass lines.
It must be noted that vocalist Alexandra sounds possessed on this EP to the point where she sounds like she is out to kill something, i hope she is not like this in normal day to day life, she would have to be locked away. Her vocals are truly frightening at times and is equal to and in most cases more powerful than her male counterparts in Doom Metal. From the angle of Funeral Doom, they don't do anything that hasn't been done many times before and like most droning Funeral Doom, it can get tedious if you are not mentally tuned in this genre of music. Overall i can't honestly say this is their best work, that still belongs to the 2007 full length album but its solid Doom product designed to crush and destroy. For that reason, it succeeds in being a crucial addition to your Funeral Doom collection.
"A Dialogue With The Dimensions" is produced by My Shameful (doom) and Vendetta (thrash) guitarist Mario Hahn and he obviously knows his way around Doom Metal because this is a hell of a powerfully rich, warm recording. ShEver play a droning kind of Funeral Doom that is big on repetition and skull crushing atmospheric riffs with growling, guttural deathly vocals although the third track "Hagazussa" does feature some clean vocals and cries. There is four songs here and all are great but offer very little in terms of variation, they all start calmly enough (for a Funeral Doom band that is) but all build up to a monolithic climatic endings. The whole four excursions into brutally crushing organic doom are all of equal strength but opening track "Transformed Into Sadness" and closing track "High & Turning" finish up a bit more memorable after repeated spins. The latter offers the only real change of pace and feel on the EP with slightly different drum variations and bass lines.
It must be noted that vocalist Alexandra sounds possessed on this EP to the point where she sounds like she is out to kill something, i hope she is not like this in normal day to day life, she would have to be locked away. Her vocals are truly frightening at times and is equal to and in most cases more powerful than her male counterparts in Doom Metal. From the angle of Funeral Doom, they don't do anything that hasn't been done many times before and like most droning Funeral Doom, it can get tedious if you are not mentally tuned in this genre of music. Overall i can't honestly say this is their best work, that still belongs to the 2007 full length album but its solid Doom product designed to crush and destroy. For that reason, it succeeds in being a crucial addition to your Funeral Doom collection.
1. Transformed Into Sadness
2. Doomsky
3. Hagagazussa
4. High And Turning
