Band: VACANT EYES
Country: USA
Title: A Somber Preclusion of Being
Label: Independent
Year: 2020
Style: Funeral Doom Death

Review:
Quite a daring move from this US based band independently releasing their debut album on triple 12"LP vinyl beside the CD and digital version, even though they have been around since 2011 and even released an EP in 2014, but this is still their debut album. 75 minutes of playing time, even though the album is made of only 6 tracks, but that's a natural thing for the genre they base their core influences from, Funeral Doom Metal. Luckily enough this is a good album, vibrant, colorful (not happy, don't get me wrong), and open to experimentation, a traditional Funeral Doom mixed with '90's Melodic Doom Death in quite a balanced fashion (to a point it's hard to pick a side and label this band Funeral Doom or Doom Death) and even some touches of DSBM at times. What impressed me the most was the band's ability to avoid boredom but always picking up pace, or adding some enchanting melodic guitar solos, and at the same time keeping that catchy Doom monotony intact by blending heavy riffs with memorable leads, and I also have to mention the versatility of the vocal section that most of the time is made of growls but features also some outbursts of shrieks and even clean, soothing male vocals (I would have liked some more of that sprinkled all over). The album is at the same time abrasive and targeted, but also melodic and open to profane ears, and that's what makes it mature, a solid display of potential, one of those debut albums that make you worry the next one won't reach the same level.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 9.5/10

Contact:
vacanteyesdoom.bandcamp.com

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