This five piece from Sweden “play rock music”, was what I read on one of the sources I used to get some background. Whilst I agree that this unilluminating statement can be countered by “you’ll find out if you listen to it”, I do like to have half a clue as to what I might be letting myself in for. The artist’s view is usually interesting. Luckily the label came to the rescue, and not only did I discover that this is the band’s second album but in amongst the rhetoric, I learnt to expect something mysterious with, at the risk of making it sound like expensive coffee, notes of melancholy and progressive elements. A journey through Time and Space indeed. There, I’ve just translated the album’s title.
A really bright and catchy melody leads us in. The breezy drum beat leads us along nicely. A dynamic riff rolls along at the back, while the lead guitar punches out a bright tune. The keyboard takes us into the cosmos. I have no idea what the song is about as it’s in Swedish but the singer has a pure voice. “Atlantis Mitt”, which is what I’m writing about has a great structure, bordering between pop and rock but diverging into progressive mystery and flowing in a very interesting way. This is a lot more than just “rock music”, I immediately concluded. An 80s style synth line starts off “Arcana”. There’s great depth to the sound, which has an echoing expanse. Slowing down for a bit of dark prog, the song broadens emotively. Timewise, it sounds a bit retro. It may be the synth organ that gives that impression. “7000 Dagar” (7000 Days) takes us back to a minimalist world, with the vocalist pouring out his melancholic world view with a rich but simple guitar accompaniment. I could feel the gloom even though I hadn’t got a clue what he was singing about. I felt the dark clouds coming in, and the situation intensifying, whatever that situation was. Instrumentally the darkness surrounds us. This is a very powerful track. The atmospheric vibe reminded me a lot of the Italian band Kingcrow, who I like very much. Each section builds the power. The wind blows us skybound to finish, and leads into the funereal “Aksved”. “Hjärnspöket” (Chimera) is another hauntingly melancholic piece. After a vocal introduction, there’s a proggier-than-prog passage of atmospheric mystery before the mood darkens, the wind whistle and we’re in the 70s or 80s. But whatever era we are in, it’s a mystical place. “Söndag” (Sunday) sways gently and is another nice song but you can’t escape the melody. As I listened to it, I reflected again on who this sound like. Without doubt this has the gothic style vibe of Charon (the Finnish one), Poisonblack and the melancholy of these bands and The Old Dead Tree. Döda Havet translates as Dead Sea. So don’t expect laughter here. But there are rocking melodies and strong rock songs to enjoy, as the next one “Levande Eller Död” (Alive or Dead) demonstrates. But it’s like a fleeting moment, possibly ending in a logical place if you understand the lyrics but ending in mid-air if you don’t. “Bråttom” (In a Hurry) is anything but, finishing us off in a sea of emotive melancholic prog gloom.
A “fulfilled journey of different emotions” is something we’re led to expect from this album. I would agree that there is emotion, but after the bright start, “Tod och Rum” is overridingly gloomy. I understand that the band may not want to go “hey, we’re going to shower you in melancholy” but this album is far more sophisticated than that. Credit is due to Döda Havet for this emotive and atmospheric work, and they deserve recognition for their representation of the dark and lonely shadow where they seem to have entrenched themselves. “Tod och Rum” is altogether a deep, sophisticated and touching album.
(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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