Faded Remembrance is making headlines once again.
In collaboration with Bitume Productions, the Hungarian musician Tamás Albert (Embertears) unveils his third album, The Blessing of Downfall.
The album opens with the lengthy title track, The Blessing of Downfall, which takes its time building a haunting atmosphere by incorporating some brass before the vocals kick in, making the mix rawer and slightly more aggressive, while the doom metal roots lend the riffs a certain melancholic heaviness. There are slightly more energetic passages that momentarily disrupt the majestic tones, before the mood turns ominous with Shadowhaunt, the next track, which maintains a dark atmosphere while occasionally unleashing intense, haunting vocals before hypnotizing us once again with its harmonics. The musician follows up with Glimmering Hope, which stays within similar tones, pairing intoxicating leads with a heavy foundation, as well as vocals that are at times aggressive and at other times much more melodious, ultimately giving way to orchestral arrangements before leading into At The Gates Of Avalon, which quickly adopts a heavier, suffocating approach. The guitar also drives the shifts in tempo, at times even taking on a rather sinister quality while rooted in dark elements, as the vocals appear from time to time, eventually transitioning into Deep In The Forest, where the atmosphere is much lighter, almost mystical. The track passes by fairly quickly, eventually giving way to Requiem, which returns to mysterious and at times even imposing tones while maintaining a consistently dreamy dynamic, allowing the instrumentation and orchestration to interplay as the vocalist makes only brief appearances, much like on Thoughts of Disobedience, which reveals epic notes. The track features some interesting accelerations, keeping us engaged as we move on to Pride Far Gone, where the musician plays with dissonance and long, melancholic passages that captivate us between waves of pounding guitar. The album concludes with Slumber In The Darkness, a track that starts off haunting but then takes a rather strange turn, swinging from one extreme to the other while letting the vocals guide us through limbo, until silence finally sets in.
Doom Metal fans will have no trouble falling under the spell of The Blessing of Downfall, as Faded Remembrance knows exactly how to make it unsettling, haunting, and oppressive. If you’re looking for an escape from the joy of living, this is the album for you.
75/100