November's Doom - Into Night’s Requiem Infernal (The End Records) By: Darren Cowan

[8.5/10] Chicago’s masters of down tempo death metal, November’s Doom have returned with another spirit-crushing album, Into Night’s Requiem Infernal. The eight tracks that comprise the said album strike a balance between melody, atmosphere, burlesque ringing chords and vicious death metal, thus painting numerous emotions into their musical palette.

With Into Night’s Requiem Infernal, November’s Doom not only traverses many moods, the group does it with exquisite skill. The title track and “Lazarus Regret” adhere to a strict death metal formula, often breaking down the tempo into hugely proportioned doom metal sections. “Lazarus Regret” shows the band incorporating thrashing death metal rhythms, which the group expertly transitions into a stop-and-start-then-go time change. They end the track with ringing chords and a psychotic growl-scream dual. Guitarists Lawrence Roberts and Vito Marchese display the album’s best collection of riffs on the title track, working in an ominous guitar lead during the slowest parts and vintage Stockholm-Sweden death metal riffing during the up-tempo passages.

Like a skitzo receiving his bedtime meds, “The Fifth Day of March” and “When Desperation Fills the Void” show the group mostly relinquishing their death metal grip in favor of soft-yet-sulking pieces. Each guitarist switches off his distortion while the vocals transform into beautiful, clean harmonies. Following the tradition of Tiamat and Anathema, November’s Doom takes cue from Pink Floyd on the blues-laced “The Fifth Day of March.”

November’s Doom mostly adheres to one mood on the above tracks, although there is a spattering of hard parts within the soft and vice-versa. While the group successfully pulls off both ends of the spectrum on these tracks, they are at their best when continually switching moods within each song. “Empathy’s Greed” and “I Hurt Those I Adore” keep the listener swaying to serene harmonies until the group angry projects their harsh death metal side.

In the not-so-vaunted doom metal scene, few bands have endured and excelled as November’s Doom. Into Night’s Requiem Infernal exemplifies why this group continues onward while so many similar bands (especially in America) have folded or faded into obscurity. This album is a good example because it features doom metal with all the trimmings: large chord structures, melody, clean and death vocals and atmosphere, yet the band’s death metal side should find favor with those who only take it hard and rough. Into Night’s Requiem Infernal is definitely one of the year’s highlights for The End Records!

www.novembersdoom.com