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The press release begins with these words: "Another Doom Metal gem hailing from Canada". Well, I unfortunately don't get that many releases from my country to compare, but I can only agree with the term gem used to describe Montreal's own Towards Darkness.

Montreal is also the home of label Twilight Foundation, which recently released the band's latest opus, Solemn. The sound of this album is built on a slow, elaborate, dark and atmospheric musical structure. Of course Doom Metal is well known for being slow in pace, but Towards Darkness is somewhat slower without reaching the Funeral Doom "movement." The vocals are leaning towards a thrashy type of rasps, and they are usually discrete too, crushed under a massive, as well as powerful, wall of sound. The keyboards and guitar work are excellent, while being carefully used to carry the orchestral and ambient duties. All of this resulting in a highly oppressive atmosphere. This music is not only bone-crushing and apocalyptic, but it has a certain cinematic feel around the edges. Maybe this comes from the fact that most of this work is instrumental, with many long lasting musical interludes, not to mention the calmer breaks often presented. Solemn also has a nice touch of originality that went into its songwriting, since Towards Darkness made a crafty use of samplings, industrial noises and a bit of psychedelia here and there. Closing track "Despair" is nothing else than a spacey piece of psychedelic Doom, for instance. Then again, every single composition on this new release is worth mentioning.

Great crushing darkness from home!