FRACTURED SPINE – Memoirs of a Shattered Mind
- by Matt Coe
- Posted on 04-09-2014
Experimental atmospheric doom/ death metal here on the second album from Finnish duo Fractured Spine. "Memoirs of a Shattered Mind" features 8 tracks in 33 minutes, pushing extreme black nuances on "Dead to Me" and moving in a darker, almost cyber-industrial direction for "Deprived of Daylight". Sometimes your headspace needs to take in atmospheric nuances, swirling whispering or guttural vocals, and the guitars reverberate and churn in an older Katatonia/ Swallow the Sun meets Saturnus manner.
Thantos handles the vocals, lyrics and artwork- Apathis all the instrumentation and additional vocals. The reverse loops and keyboards on "Clock That Ticks" sound hauntingly ominous, in tune to the layered guitar dirge and pounding drum slumber. Fractured Spine has a sound that hits certain senses immediately – but overall needs numerous playbacks to expose all of the beauty in its layered mannerisms. "Shallow" for instance has a choppy guitar riff effect against Thantos’ blackened roar, only to transform into some moody atmospheric doom piece – even the drum programming stuns you.
The Finnish scene wins again – as does the listener.
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