Review by Saxy S for Ahab - The Boats of the Glen Carrig (2015)

Much like the bands namesake, The Boats of the Glen Carrig is a seafaring horror novel that Ahab has created as incidental music to the 1907 novel. And wow does it really live up to its predecessor because this album can get pretty haunting at times.

This is death doom metal with elements of progressive rock and/or post-rock/metal interludes that really help encapsulate the feeling of being all alone on the water and the abandonment that one would feel upon shipwreck with no one around to guide or help them. The progressive sections are beautifully encapsulating of the moments of calm that one might feel when they are attempting to return to a stable state of mind, only to become engulfed once again in the fear and anxiety of a nightmare that feels like it is strangling you.

Unsurprisingly, the first thing that I thought of before I gave this album a listen was Mastodon's 2004 album, Leviathan, considering that they are built around similar concepts. And to be fair to Ahab, there are several similarities in the songwriting techniques used on this album as Mastodon's epic. Such as the invaluable importance of the guitar as melodic instrument, the fruitful bass and powerful vocal delivery. Unlike Leviathan, this album is long and it feels like it, and it's supposed to. The fear of isolation is so pulsating on this album that you start to question when salvation will finally come and rescue you and return to your life as it was before.

My criticisms of this album are few and far between, but they are significant critiques. For one, the vocalists low end is powerful, but it does sound a little too much like the Cookie Monster. And he alternates between the deep low gutturals to a more aggressive screams and there is just no comparison between the two. Also, the album is long. I said that it is a large part of this albums appeal, but some of these songs could have been cut down and given the same emotional impact, otherwise, the tracks could have been split up, making for a more streamlined experience.

Ahab's epic is a pretty damn great album in the death doom library. The atmosphere fits the source material extremely well, as well as the lyrical content. This album may hit you like the weight of the sea as it did the Glen Carrig. But the trip is worth the emotional roller-coaster that is displayed within.