If you’re going to mix Gothic elements into Doom Metal it’s got to be done right. There has to be just the right balance to avoid becoming a caricature of itself. Italian sorrow-mongers The Foreshadowing have struck such a balance. Owing much to UK doomster’s Paradise Lost, they have mastered the art of grey-skied Metal music.
I mention Paradise Lost because that’s the band I am first reminded of, but that’s mainly because of the amount of melody involved here. The atmosphere in this genre is just as important as the musical dexterity & The Foreshadowing deftly blend melody & mood with thick, dense guitar tones. The keys add just enough color so as to enhance, like a sonic mist through which everything else arrives. There are also some beautifully mournful guitar lines that weep almost like an undercurrent violins. The slow tempos help to fully realize the band’s intent, which is to lure you, irresistibly so, into their deep well of grief.
Fans of My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, & Katatonia’s slower movements will find much to enjoy about Days Of Nothing. A strong album from start to finish, some of the highlights include “Departure”, “The Wandering” & “Last Minute Train”. Seek it out and revel in the sorrow.
