Über den Sternen

Heavy folky doomy metal from Germany.

It's not doom, exactly, since it's lacking in guttural roars, but it might as well be, since it alternates between a languid pace and an even slower one. Intensity is ramped up not by upticks in tempo or volume, but by escalations in the number of moving parts, or by the addition of a heavier downbeat. If you're looking for music to wake you up or make you feel alive, this isn't the best choice.

I wish that this album were a bit tighter, and that there weren't so many quiet interludes. When this album builds and arrives at a climax, it rarely disappoints. The climaxes of the final showpiece track, "Über den Sternen," are rousing and dramatic. "The Oaken Throne" concludes with an evocative instrumental section that reminds me of a ticking clock.

The classical vocals are a great addition. They add a sense of drama and gravitas that fits the album's mood. I also liked the lyrics of some of the ballads. "The Archer" is instrumentally bland, but the lyrics kept me engaged.

I think the point of the album is to make me feel like I'm wandering through some haunted medieval forest in Germany, and by that standard it succeeds completely. I wish that it were a bit sharper. Not every album needs to wake me up and make me feel alive, but the slow burns need to be rigorous in their attention to detail, to reward careful listening. I also would've appreciated more of a variety in atmosphere. But the vision of the album, top to bottom, still managed to move me.