VOW OF THORNS - Farewell to the Sun

Vow of Thorns - Farewell to the Sun (2016, Forest Dweller Inc. /self-released)

Apparently Black Metal and Doom is the trend for new bands to make music. The long fuzzy tirades of Doom metal and the screamy vocals of Black Metal can harmoniously go together. Canadian band Vow of Thorns and their first LP Farewell to the Sun are no exception to this ever growing fusion of genres. Is it just a flavor of the week or some bands will actually stay and form another subgenre like ‘’Blackened Doom Metal’’ or ‘’Doomy Black Metal’’? Only time will tell but this review will tell if you must or not take the time to get to Vow of Thorns’ Farewell to the Sun.

Other than the usual blastbeats and fuzzy elements of both genres aforementioned, the trilogy of songs ‘’Farewell to the Sun’’ is a meditative orchestral amalgam of long guitar sweeping of almost post-rock grandeur fans of Black Metal in its purest form won’t be pleased but the fans of a more atmospheric approach to the genre and its North American form will be into this.

There are enough elements for Vow of Thorns to be called mostly a Black Metal band but I would be more inclined to categorize them as a Blackened Doom Metal band. Shifting from one genre to the other without any clunkiness, the violence meeting some really emotional moments makes this album beautiful in the same way Emperor’s Anthem’s To The Welkin at Dusk is one of the most beautiful Black Metal album of all time, it is still violent and complex.

Finally, Farewell to the Sun is worth your time and to be honest I ended up enjoying more this album than I expected. It has ferocious Black Metal elements, meditative yet calmer moments, and the songs have the time actually unravel their secrets. Those are some of the elements that make me love contemporary Black Metal; it is not afraid to go against the conventions of each genre. This is a gem that must be discovered.

7.6