When I was out grabbing information for Zatokrev, I had read a few places described them as a doom/death version of Neurosis. The double bass at the beginning of the album didn’t to me come off as something a doom band would do, but the vocals and generally simple demeanor of the music would actually have me compare them to Neurosis. It’s probably the buzz-saw distorted guitars and pounding drums that have more double bass drums work than most metalgaze bands that would have me place them in a more metallic category. What it is to me that makes this band less doom is the fact that they’re attempting to give the listener a beatdown with slow pummeling riffs, crushing drums and grating screaming, as opposed to building a depressing aura.
I have to say, the slightly raw production really gives “Bury The Ashes” a very underground feel, which is definitely something you want from a band playing such long drawn out songs building an atmosphere. I do often enjoy the feeling I get from listening to albums like these, like they were made just for me, listening to the album alone at night.
The songs that move ahead with constant trudge, such as the song “Starlight Leader” work the best, and the band seem to bring their best hooks out then. What they haven’t mastered is truly using the slow moments to build epic masterpieces, as the long songs tend to fall apart and drag themselves to death, especially those last 3 songs over 10 minutes.
The attempt at a very metallic, slightly doomy take on metalgaze by Zatokrev on “Bury The Ashes” is very commendable. I can’t say that I know of a band exactly like them, although there are more metallic metalgaze bands coming out of the cracks all the time. I’m not to the point where I can recommend “Bury The Ashes” when compared to albums made by some of the better representations of the genre just below Neurosis, Isis and Cult Of Luna, I can say that I think Zatokrev may be on their way to making a masterpiece in an upcoming release.
7/10
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Zatokrev at Firebox Records
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