The very essence of doom metal is not for everyone, what with its bumper-to-bumper pacing and tame singing. In some cases, the very notion of metal is difficult to pick apart from the rest of the music.

Deathwhite straddle the finest of lines between the two genres, but Grey Everlasting (Season Of Mist) is eons more than a run-of-the-mill doomier metal release lost in the shuffle at your local record shop. Granted, it is possible to draw parallels between LM and My Dying Bride frontman, Aaron Stainthorpe. However, the drums consistently sound both fresh and involved, and the album can effectively serve either as background music or the focal point.

Two formidable standouts include ‘Asunder’ and ‘Earthtomb.’ The former houses a deep riff that becomes more proficiently layered as the notes gain weight. It’s as if a berserker is using the power of Odin to break free of shackles. The latter releases the heaviest-sounding intro on the record. Somehow, Deathwhite manages to conjure a guitar solo which fits the track like a glove.

The somberness thrives on ‘Blood And Ruin,’ as does the grimness on ‘No Thought Or Memory.’ LM again wields his axes as a tour guide through the melancholic adventure that is ‘Quietly, Suddenly.’

Grey Everlasting stands confidently as a no-frills undertaking. Each song is meticulously composed while being sure to waste no note or verse. Not gloomy enough to trail into funeral doom territory, musically, the record is consistently peppered with misery and despair, albeit in a manner more mainstream and far-reaching.

Don’t let that ‘m’ word discourage you: Deathwhite have a firm grip on how to seamlessly introduce both elements of doom and metal into an album which pinballs back and forth between the two.

Buy the album here: https://deathwhite.bandcamp.com/album/grey-everlasting

 

7 / 10

MATT COOK