November 2025 - Feature Release - The Fallen Edition
November heralds my turn once more to nominate the Fallen feature release. I am gonna go with the 2005 debut album from Finnish funeral doom titans Tyranny, entitled "Tides of Awakening".
Feel free to let us know how awesome you think this album is, either in a full-scale review or via a comment in this here thread.
Just as an example of how many fuckers will try to rip you off nowadays, I have been trying to get a reasonably-priced copy of this for ages now and saw one on Discogs for 23 Euros, so dipped in for a look and the guy selling it wants to charge 100 Euros for shipping - from Norway to the UK. Alongside tales of scalpers buying up tickets for the forthcoming Iron Maiden tour (and many others), so they can sell them back to real fans at extortionate prices it makes my damn blood boil.
Just as an example of how many fuckers will try to rip you off nowadays, I have been trying to get a reasonably-priced copy of this for ages now and saw one on Discogs for 23 Euros, so dipped in for a look and the guy selling it wants to charge 100 Euros for shipping - from Norway to the UK. Alongside tales of scalpers buying up tickets for the forthcoming Iron Maiden tour (and many others), so they can sell them back to real fans at extortionate prices it makes my damn blood boil.
That's fucking ludicrous.
I must say Sonny, this is a sterling funeral doom metal album. I was completely speechless once the opening track started and I am on my third listen in 24 hours right now as I type this. I will definitely be adding a review for this one in the coming days.
Great stuff Vinny. Glad you like it.
If I were to give anyone an album that personified the very definition of funeral doom in my opinion, I would point them to this record. Quite unexpectedly it has become one of my favourite funeral doom albums that I have heard during my still relatively short tenure in The Fallen clan. What Tides of Awakening captures superbly is atmosphere. When I play the opening track, ‘Coalescent of the Inhumane Awareness’ it creates pictures of a dense fog or mist, seeping into all the parts of my life I am uncomfortable or unhappy with, shrouding them in a dense shroud of calming, almost sensual melancholy that acknowledges their prowess but refuses to let them have prominence at this time. That haunting guitar melody seeps through in the background, adding threat and menace to proceedings.
This therapeutic effect was entirely unexpected going into the album and I do not doubt that this is probably an experience that is isolated to myself only. It is great though when an album connects with you, especially when you least expect it to and it causes you to reflect on your wider existence as well as being able to enjoy the quality of the performance as well. Now, it matters not to me that the drums have only a minor presence on the album. I would go as far as to say the album would not work anywhere near as well if they were more prominent in the mix. They act somehow as an additional atmospheric effect, which is not something that I thought I would ever say to describe the sound of drums. It is the vocals that have the largest impact for me though. They are well balanced in the mix, retaining presence without spilling over into dominating proceedings. Whilst they may be the focus of my attention, they are still very much a component part of a much bigger machine.
Whilst it would normally be a problem for me, the fact that I cannot distinguish between tracks works for me here as I am utterly enthralled from the off. It plays best, in my head at least as a singular track experience with only the final track having that more ambient style that separates it from the pack. You can all just leave me here having my own private therapy session with this month’s The Fallen feature release. See you all in December. Maybe.
4.5/5
It is great when a record that only seemingly means something to oneself strikes a chord with another human being, especially if it is in a less tangible way that possibly transcends the mere music itself. I completely get what you are saying, Vinny, about this record in particular, but also funeral doom in general, being a therapeutic experience because I have thought this for a very long time. I find great comfort in funeral doom that I don't really get from any genre and the calming effect it induces soothes my often frazzled nerves supremely well. I am sure this woulddn't be the case for everyone, but for those of a certain mental setup this album should be available on the NHS!
Keep it slow, keep it low and grind away that stress....
