Originally released back in 2011, ‘Spiritual Alchemy’ is the product of a two-man melodic doom-death band from Moscow.
Alarm bells started ringing when floaty intro ‘Windy Days’ (stop sniggering at the back) started playing, its saccharine keys and harp effects making me feel as if I was about to start playing a fantasy RPG on the Super Nintendo. Thankfully things improve immediately with ‘Golden Fields of Creation’; a brooding-but-uplifting slab of melodic doom centred around melancholy, gently-cascading blues-rock leads. It’s unhurried and rather delicate, its guttural growls sharing space with Teutonic-sounding hymnal singing, with the melodic leads being given both prominence and time to breathe. This sets the tone for the rest of the album; whether racing or plodding, it’s the constant solos that drive the songs forward.
Broadly speaking, it’s doom-rock-meets-bluesy-virtuoso stuff, but there’s also the sugary tang of polished melodic metal, bordering frequently on melodeath. ‘The Elementals’ for example has a feel of Dark Tranquillity and Omnium Gatherum about it, working said up-tempo, pounding riffs around a deliciously downcast, Paradise Lost-esqe main hook and building to a barrage of neoclassical shredding. The title track meanwhile flits between galloping melodeath, despondent, Foreshadowing-esque doomy crawling (complete with somber clean vocals), rich, bluesy excursions and bursts of maniacal fretwork. Instrumental piece ‘The Ascent’ is by far the liveliest track; fast-paced and acrobatic, climbing those scales like nobody’s business and with a strong feel of Nightwish about it, and whilst said band aren’t my cup of tea at all (can’t stomach the vocals, for one thing), it’s great fun here.
These regular up-tempo moments don’t overshadow the album’s main melodic doom thrust however. ‘Rain of Eternal Distress’ is utterly unhurried, reminding of fellow countrymen Forest Stream’s debut with its airy synths, languidly-plodding riffs and low, smothering growls. Again, it’s the warm melodic leads with their bluesy peaks and troughs and effortless flow that really stand out though, making for some rather beautiful passages without ever feeling over-indulgent.
Indeed, it’s a surprisingly unpretentious listen, quietly getting on with it and letting the quality of the compositions shine through. The nicely-done sleeve art provides contrasting images of the elements and the seasons, but the album has a subdued warmth running through it, conjuring up fading sunlit landscapes and autumnal colours. Skillfully executed and thoughtfully written, ‘Spiritual Alchemy’ is a varied and rewarding mix of melodic metal and nature-inspired doom.
(8/10 Erich Zann)
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