Black Oath - Behold the Abyss (2018)^{Release ID: 32304}

had actually forgotten that I do have some previous history with Black Oath, having checked out their debut when it came out, back in 2011, and awarding it 4 out of 5 stars, so I must have found it to be pretty decent. The fact I couldn't remember it didn't bode well going into this review of their fourth album, Behold the Abyss, but I did my due diligence and revisited it with a real positive result as it is indeed a cracking slab of trad doom that any fan of said genre should dig. The years intevening between the debut and Behold the Abyss have seen their sound become more epic and here it sits somewhere between the out-and-out doom of Pallbearer and Monolord and the epic doom of, say, Solstice and Krux, with the inclusion of faster-paced sections and an increased number of guitar solos. On fourth track, Once Death Sang, they even introduce clean female vocals, in the vein of Shape of Despair et al, as provided by guest Elizabetta M, to even greater increase the epic atmosphere.

The album sounds great, with a real clarity that suits this more epic sound, the riffs boom out of the speakers and the solos sear through the listeners ear 'oles, while both bass and drums are functional without being overly showy, yet are suitably positioned in the mix and are clearly audible. Vocalist and bassist/guitarist, E.A. Zorath, whilst no Messiah Marcolin or Morris Ingram, possesses a voice that suits the material quite well and thankfully never resorts to embarrasing histrionics. The songs are well constructed and, whilst playing it quite safe within the doom/epic doom template, they come up with some terrific riffs and nice melodies - in fact tracks like Chants of Aradia and Lilith Black Moon are fairly catchy affairs.

Look, this is no envelope pusher, but if you dig on solid and satisfying epic doom fare, then you will be well served by Behold the Abyss. Also, it has reminded me of the debut's existence, which I have now boosted another half star, and which I personally prefer, but don't take my word for it, try them both out and see!