Well, in some place and time on the past, precisely between the years of 1998 and 2002, your Ol' Big Daddy lost completely the interest on Doom Death Metal. It was because of the influences of Progressive and Gothic Rock entering the stile, and destroying the aggressive structures of the music. In those times, I was younger, and my mind couldn't stand some changes in bands like those ones. But as soon as I heard some new bands from the style, and as I grew a little older, I started to accept and comprehend more and more the changes, and like them all. But strangely, one thing occurred; many bands, along with elegant and bold music, got back their more aggressive insight, especially in terms of vocals. And I loved it. Maybe for that reason, I can understand completely works like "Compassion Forlorn", from Spanish sextet HEVELORN.

Their music stays in a middle way between some aggressive moments from KATATONIA with some earlier MY DYING BRIDE and TRISTANIA elements, keeping the sound's aggressive insight, but with elegant features. The vocals are guttural, but in a way not so extreme as some bands are used to do (and some clean ones appears to create some elegant and introspective moments), very good guitar riffs, great orchestrations from the keyboards (and a piano in some moments), and a heavy and good bass and drums duo. Of course one can say, "I heard that before", for the band is not creating a new style of Metal. But the way they play there is unique, have personality.

The sound quality is very good, the way they need for their musical work. The recording and mixing done in Spain by Miguel Ángel Riutort "Mega", with the mastering done by Jens Bogren (again, for it's the second time they work with him, who had previously worked with OPETH, PARADISE LOST, ARCH ENEMY, and others) at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden, reached the quality they aimed for: clear and heavy.

Eight tracks of pure Doom Death Metal arise, with some very good moments on "The Inner Crumble" (very good guitar works!), the almost accessible "Burden Me" (with very good orchestrations, and an elegant atmosphere due very good clean voices), the more introspective and depressive "Unified", and the oppressive "Els Dies Tranquils", with very good presence of the Irish singer Lisa Cuthbert and of the guitarist Pedro Zubiri (former GOLGOTHA and BLIND PANIC member), in a song that reminds a lot something MY DYING BRIDE used to do on their "Turn Loose the Swans" era.

Very good work, indeed!<