Review by Xephyr for Weeping Sores - False Confession (2019)
Solemn Symphony
Side projects from extreme metal musicians have and, judging by False Confession, will always continue to be fascinating to me. As someone who isn't necessarily a fan of Brutal Death or other extreme metal genres, I sometimes wonder what some of these guys are really capable of musically outside of their selected sub-genre. Technical or Extreme Death Metal seems like a very deep crevasse that is difficult to crawl out of once fallen into, so it's no surprise that Weeping Sores was created to distance Doug Moore, vocalist of Extreme Metal band Pyrrhon, enough so he could create something new for himself. Weeping Sores burns away the vicious and haphazard shell of Moore's main project and inside lies a shockingly mature Death Doom experience. The blistering, grinding, and overall aggravating style that Pyhrron had is replaced by patient, atmospheric, and careful songwriting that takes full advantage of each element it presents. It's truly amazing what a shift in direction can do for a vocalist of his type.
Moore's personal style remains present, as the vocals are still deep and guttural, which at first doesn't feel quite right given the despondent and bittersweet atmosphere of the album, but the weight and restraint of the compositions balance out his hellish bellows. Aiding the equilibrium is the pronounced use of a sweet but evil sounding violin that acts as a resolution to the savage riffs and vocals, creating a calm but haunting atmosphere throughout the album. That type of resolution is definitely necessary as False Confession brings some seriously crushing riffs to the table, especially in "Transfiguration Of Flesh Into Dream".
What I find fascinating about albums like this is how proper usage of other instruments in metal can so easily change the metal foundation these albums are built on. Riffs go from crunchy and menacing to beautifully haunting when the violin decides to play along, and this idea is used consistently and fantastically throughout False Confession. There are even some sections where the guitar riff falls out and the violin plays the same exact riff, completely flipping the tone and atmosphere, which is an awesome touch that shows how well the instrument is used. Slowly but surely throughout the songs and album the violin becomes more and more demonic and possessed, reaching its screechy and uncomfortable climax in "Valediction Prayer". The album does have a ton of squealing, squeaking, and screeching from both the guitar and violin, which was slightly off-putting to me at first, but since the two instruments play off each other so well it helps to create tension and a feeling of distress that is well resolved by the heavy doom riffs.
Each Death Doom riff Weeping Sores plays feels fleshed out and ever changing, evolving as the album swells into faster Death Metal focused portions but then dips into slow, drawn out sections that know exactly how long to let notes sit for maximum effect. There's very little repetition due to the constant guitar screech sections which is a breath of fresh air for a doom-centric record. When repetition is used, like in "Valediction Prayer", it lulls the listener into an exciting groove to let the violin take over with its sweet but evil sounding solos as Moore rounds out the arrangement with bellowing but not overpowering vocals.
Weeping Sores has created a somber, menacing, but graceful album that relishes in its atmosphere and never feels lost in what it's trying to accomplish. The Death Doom genre has been consistently surprising me with its creativity, especially with this group coming from other bands I didn't necessarily care for. While the vocals could be a tad bit cleaner for me, False Confession is an exciting and well crafted hour of massive riffs and mournful melodies.