‘Oppressive’, that’s what comes to mind when listening to this. The Encarta dictionary defines this word as; “Exerting a worrying, troubling or burdensome pressure on somebody,” and with this, the latest release from Finland’s Tyranny, it does exactly that, the sense of foreboding in the mind, the weight on a individual, it brings them down with the sheer depressive atmosphere exuding from this, their 2^nd full length release.

With most funeral doom it is exactly that atmosphere that sets some bands apart from each other, because lets face it, there are no catchy, sing along choruses, riffs to start a mosh pit to (well sort of in a sense) but the surreal atmosphere, the darkness that is almost palatable, THAT is what sets you apart and makes bands like Nortt, Skepticism, Winter, Funeralium (who I feel share a similar sound dynamic with Tyranny) both exceptionable and memorable because with this genre, some would say, its pretty much interchangeable in sound and song structure, but if you have that aura, that menacing dirge in your sound, well welcome to this world of auditory despair.

One thing I find interesting with this release is that the songs are fairly short by funeral doom standards, with only one being a bit over the 12 minute mark, which can be a good thing for some just getting their feet wet into this graveyard of doom. When listening to this, and maybe any funeral doom for that matter, you have to take in the album as a whole, not just a song here or there, you have to give yourself over to the moment, the melancholy. If you are already listening to this genre, you have to understand and know what to expect and have the sense of what this music has to offer. For those it can be a cathartic release of emotions and take it as such. For myself an enjoyable listen, but not everyday, I will listen to this more but with this genre, I take it in bits and pieces, a welcome diversion but I need the ferocity and velocity in my metal.

At 5 songs, Tyranny offers plenty of downtrodden gloom, deep ponderous drums that are minimal but effective, and guitars as thick and heavy as your grandmother’s meatloaf. Bass rumbles and trudges along but compliments both instruments, to give weight and a sonic sense of depth. Its one thing I feel is effective here, one solid uniformed mass of sound that contributes to the sound as a whole. One instrument does not overpower the other. Production is great and fits this sound perfectly. Like mentioned earlier, the songs do sort of blend together but they are not overly long but the last 2 offer the greater sense of dynamics. “The Stygian Enclave” with its keyboard atmospherics, enhances the already bleak nature of the song. The final song “Bells of the Black Basilica” is the perfect closer. The eerie sound effects and keyboards truly make this a standout. It would fit perfectly has a doom metal soundtrack for the 1^st Hellraiser movie.

It’s been 10 years since the last release from Tyranny and its great to see that nothing was lost in the time away and they still stand at the forefront of their genre. So if you are looking for your favorite doom release of 2015 this could fit the bill nicely.

[Visit the band's website]

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