Long before they transformed into a muscular, heavier-than-fuck dark doom metal ensemble, Chicago’s Novembers Doom were firm practicioners of the vaunted UK Gothic doom metal style. This is none more evident on Amid Its Hallowed Mirth, which sees Paul Kuhr and the gang give more than a fair share of nods to My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, et al. No worries or gripes here, as ND’s American take on this style was pretty bold in the mid-90’s, and Amid lurches and lunges with that dingy classic doom feeling that has yet to be recaptured by anyone outside of The Prophecy.

As for Of Sculptured Stone and Ivy Flowers, this minor gem has been out of print for years, fetching some major loot on Ebay, so hats off to The End for re-releasing. The album itself is more varied and open than Amid and includes a healthy does of clean female vox from Cathy Jo Hejna, which were eventually phased out, and for good reason. One could also see where the band was headed for future releases like To Welcome the Fade and The Pale Haunt Departure with standout numbers like “Suffer the Red Dream” and “For Every Leaf That Falls.”

In the case of Novembers Doom, their more recent efforts are more vital than their back catalog, which is usually a rare occurrence in metal, but one cannot deny the tremendous growth the band has endured since these two albums were released in 1995 and ’99 respectively. Nevertheless, both Amid and Of Sculptured deserve a nod and a listen and kudos for another round of excellent reissues.

www.novembersdoom.com