Review by Xephyr for Ruins of Beverast, The - The Thule Grimoires (2021)

The Gothic Incantation

The Ruins of Beverast (TRoB) has been on the more exotic forefront of combining as many influences and metal genres as he sees fit for almost 20 years now with no signs of slowing down. After finding out about this one person project back in 2017 with the acclaimed Exuvia, TRoB has been in the back of my mind ever since, but that fond thinking never resulted in actually checking out any of their older releases. I’d normally put in the legwork to get a better understanding of where a project like TRoB stands compared to their previous works, but I think coming into The Thule Grimoires with a fresh perspective of only ever having heard Exuvia a few times may be an interesting take in of itself.

It seems like TRoB have been augmenting their sound and atmosphere constantly, bringing something new to the table on every single album, so a more classic and traditional Gothic/Doom atmosphere seems to be where TRoB has settled this time around. General atmosphere has always been something they’ve exceled at and it’s no different here, as tracks like “Ropes Into Eden” and “Mammothpolis” have truly haunting sections that properly use Gothic elements in the exact ways that I enjoy. The more theatrical clean vocals fit right in with the eerie feel of the guitar leads layered on top of fairly heavy Black Metal styled riffing that, in standard TRoB fashion, dips more into Death Doom than Black Metal for the most part whenever the aggression gets turned up. Plus the reoccurring, echoey, and somewhat ghostly lead guitar melodies that pop up on almost all the tracks help to create a cohesive theme around the prevalent Gothic and Doom elements. At the same time The Thule Grimoires pulls itself a bit too many directions sometimes, especially during the more standard Death Doom breakdowns in “Kromlc’h Knell” and “Anchoress In Furs”, which feel somewhat out of place given the overall feel of the album. “The Tundra Shines” and especially “Polar Hiss Hysteria” do a much better job of bringing the heaviness in a way that feels like a natural extension of The Thule Grimoire’s overall theme, whereas the big and booming Death Doom sections sound a bit weak comparatively.

That natural extension turns out to be a strangely satisfying mix of ripping Death and Black Metal that never necessarily gets overpoweringly brutal thanks to all the creative layering of different vocal styles, synths, and lead guitar work. “Polar Hiss Hysteria” is absolutely the standout when it comes to this, with its crushing Death Doom base below a memorable and ghastly main riff and a satisfying progression towards a more ambient outro. Even though it can be exciting to hear TRoB jump around between Death Doom breakdowns, Black Metal riffing, and theatrical Gothic chanting, I think that “Polar Hiss Hysteria” works so well because of its more straightforward structure that doesn’t leave the listener in limbo for minutes at a time. While “Deserts To Blind And Defeat” may be the only song I’d consider to be overly long, the three other tracks over nine minutes long mull around a bit too much in certain sections for their own good, especially when the core theme of The Thule Grimoires is so strong. “Mammothpolis” has the opposite problem though, with the climax feeling a bit weak and short-lived given how incredible the atmospheric buildup is. Given that I think the Death Doom aspects of this album are the weakest, it would have been incredibly interesting to hear TRoB lean even harder into the style shown in the beginning of the album with “Ropes Into Eden” and “The Tundra Shines” instead of going in the direction of “Kromlc’h Knell” and “Anchoress In Furs”, even though both of these tracks have more than enough creativity to hold their own.

The Thule Grimoires is yet another unique but, at the same time, more traditional evolution of TRoB’s sound coming off of 2017’s trippy and tribal Exuvia. While this album doesn’t match the twists and turns of its predecessor, its Gothic and Doom influences are incorporated extremely well into a motif that holds up well against other acts. I don’t necessarily want to claim that this album plays it “safe” because the central Gothic theme is utilized very well, but The Thule Grimoires still lacks a bit of spice thanks to its reliance on some ill-fitting Death Doom sections. It also ends on a bit of a low note, with the 14-minute closer ending on some spoken word that makes me roll my eyes every time I get to it. Most of these criticisms are pretty meaningless when it comes d0wn to it and The Thule Grimoires is an intriguing blend of metal genres circling around a central theme that really worked for me. It may not be as mind-boggling as their previous releases thanks to its more traditional influences, but it’s incredibly solid nonetheless.