Despărțire

I don't think I have ever felt neutrally about a doom album. Either they attain a fierce elemental glory, or they don't; and when they don't, the idea of doom feels a little silly.

Despartire treads on the right side of this boundary. It feels like it has the power of nature, and the doom vocals fit into this pagan, elemental landscape. The deep, growling vocals aren't overused, but when they slip in, they are a welcome crack of thunder.

The construction of the first half of the album is exquisite. "Deepen This Wound" is a swirl of sound, ploddingly slow. "This Heart, A Coffin" is even slower: layers of emotion are added to a simple violin melody that I can't get out of my head. How either of these tracks maintains my interest for ten minutes is not clear to me. The magic is in the details, I guess? The album's production value helps too: it has been beautifully mastered.

I don't agree with every decision. The spoken word sections feel melodramatic and cringy, though they don't bother me as much as they did on first listen. In the greater architecture of the album, they probably have a place that I can't quite see yet. I also think the album loses a bit of momentum in its second half, even though the tracks are trimmer. But the closing track of the album, with its ballad-like vocals and dreamy echo, worked well for me.

I guess this entire album walks a fine line between sublime and ridiculous. It's not subtle; it's frighteningly earnest. But I am grateful to have found it.