Review: (Nightfalls Lament) Full Length by Ocean of Grief

Greek Doom Metal band Ocean of Grief released a new album early this year. Entitled "Nightfall's Lament," the album consists of 7 tracks, and it was released via Rain Without End Records. The album reached Doom Metal listener universally, and got many positive reviews. 

Also, Ocean of Grief participated in the first Greek Doom Metal Festival (The Room of Doom) with a number of great Greek Doom Metal bands like On Thorns I Lay, and Decemberence, alongside Marche Funebre from Belgium. After few hours, Ocean of Grief will perform on Metal Gates Festival stage! So, I decided to show some support for Ocean of Grief guys and publish this review \m/

Review:  (Nightfall's Lament) Full Length by Ocean of Grief

By: Rana "Dark" Atef

Originally published on 16/11/2018 at 2:31 am

Before going on describing the album, I just want to describe the story itself for you! (From my point of view)! The story simply takes place at the night, and as you know, the night is the heaviest period of the day! also, I think that it narrates the story of a dead person! who escapes from his bleakness, depression, and loneliness to death! Escaping in the night, away the eyes of people! This point is stressed in the first verse of the first track "In Bleakness."

Away from people

And everything alive

Laying in his bed, desperate

He lost his faith in people, even in his friends

Sees them as a puddle , full of shit

Painful scenes are spinning, through his mind

Where trust was battered which cut his breath

"In Bleakness" is opened with magical ambient touches with freezing rhythms. You can trace the hero's depression, loneliness in the sounds of the guitars, and heavy Drums beats. The music gives you the impression of standing on the edge of a dangerous cliff, staring at the bottom, trapped in mazes of thinking. This whole inner conflict is scripted in aching harsh screams, and growling with hidden, echoing keys hidden in the heart of the music. The rage of this man is beautifully moved to the music! the part of Guitar interlude with solo, shades of depressed, emotional mood.

Next is "Eyes of Oblivion," it is the second chapter of this album. It is intro reflects one sentence or a concept which is "Death is Oblivion." So, Guitars riffs are digging deeper into the mind, sense of blame and regret. Actually, the structure of vocals give the impression of cutting breathes and the music enhanced the feelings of harsh solitude and despair. The calm part in the middle before the solo is really depressive and lamenting.

"Mourning Over Memories" is the upcoming track. I liked the intro so much, it is nostalgic, bittersweet taste and it is suitable for calling bitter memories. 

Sadly, it was just a trip

To the memory lane

The happy fields, where

I cannot go back

Nostalgia breeds my fiends

"Fiend of the Overload" is the fourth track. I can trace the heaviness of the action in the ambient sounds, in the clear painful Bass lines, and in the vibes. It is like surrendering to death, giving up. It is somehow stormy track! It is full of blasting breaks, angry melodic depressive influenced style! It tells the killing pain of being broken, of being involved in inner conflict, of being trapped in endless darkened illusive world. 

The upcoming track is "Painting My Sorrow", It is opened with blackened intro likes Atmospheric Funeral Doom style. It is really darkened one, but it is a little bit faster than the previous songs. It is full of melodic struggling sounds. It reflects deeply the idea of regret, of punishing the self, of recalling events, memories! So, you can trace in the sounds forms of pain, silence, mourning, falling, and conflicted fights. 

Going deeply into the act of death through "The Breeding of Death"! It is started with fading in technique, it is closer to a progression for the previous track, and a progression for the exited sadness! 

Finally, "The Release of the Soul"! It is the transition between Death, and after life! It is the  farewell and freedom, so it is really convincing to be opened with such as dynamic riff that describes the images of death, and the fear of the fall! I felt something strange in the rising sounds of music, the melodies, and sounds are like a glorious epitaph or a greeting for the departing soul! I like how the album closed with spooky, emotional guitar tunes with distinctive clear Bass sounds! 

Conclusion

I can't deny that the band really did great job in writing the music, and the story! The impressive harmony between Guitars and Bass lines, the deep, catchy and strong vocals, descriptive wonderful touches of keys, and wonderful blasting drum beats! The only negative comment is the process of mixing, I felt that some sounds need to be clearer, and more obvious, and the quality needs to be improved a little bit. Guys, cheer up! you did a great job!