THE FORESHADOWING – Second World
- Posted on 11-07-2012
Ah sweet doom. The journey remains long, the road to glory almost as arduous. Musically respected, often revered by the most fervent of fans. Not the path to take if you hope to make a sustainable living solely from the output of your music (Black Sabbath notwithstanding). The Foreshadowing embody a sound as a sextet with equal appeal to both the classic doom and 90’s gothic metal follower, as their songwriting contains atmosphere, beauty, darkness, and heaviness all at once.
On this third album “Second World”, the sextet from Rome, Italy sweep your mind and ears into their intelligent crevices, the 10 songs subtly sinking into your bloodstream to the point where the dream-like state they take you in becomes alive with visions and colors you never imagined before. The chanting within “The Forsaken Son” against the slow tribal drumming of Jonah Padella takes late 70’s Pink Floyd influence against the band’s harmonic guitar driven charm. Marco Benevento morose, low key melodies bring Tiamat next to While Heaven Wept for the title track- while the echoing guitar refrain that drives “Reverie Is A Tyrant” against the sound of a thunderous church bell takes any long distance pain from the recesses of my soul and melts it away. When the 56 minutes concludes, humbly the head and fingers insist on an immediate repeat engagement- to continue the discovery of psychology, philosophy, mindfulness and the exploration of all human emotions- even through the monk-like chanting against double bass drums for my personal favorite “Noli Timere”.
Casual gothic metal followers or those that think doom is merely Black Sabbath need not apply to partake in “Second World”. Sometimes the simple part or riff needs texture to further enhance the arrangement and drive home the hooks. I can imagine in a live environment a three dimensional spectacle- where visually, aurally and kinetically the six-piece connect to their audience. Amazing, breath-taking- The Foreshadowing epitomize gothic doom metal in the current marketplace, and I applaud the willingness to prove you don’t have to be trendy or extreme to get your point across in this industry: it’s all about the songs.