When Death Comes
Aphonic Threnody
•
February 2, 2015

BLACK SABBATH were the instigators of what would be later called "Doom Metal", but it never quite flourished that much or became mainstream over the following decades... The sub-genre nonetheless developed a dedicated following and many variants including "Death-Doom", which later gave birth to "Funeral Doom". Such is the case of APHONIC THRENODY. They are like their brethren: Slow, melancholic and somewhat depressive-sounding. The feelings of despair, solitude and suffering are extremely present thorough the album. Each of the song are at least 10 minutes long, so there is plenty of material to review.
"The Ghost's Song" start with a female-spoken monologue; shortly thereafter, we can hear the death growls, sometimes alternating with lamenting (low pitched) clean vocals. There is a melancholic interlude in the middle and the keyboard sections are very anxious. The intro of "Death Obsession" starts off with a mysterious piano melody, alongside the sound of the rain falling down; the presence of a double bass is unexpected, but very fitting to the mood they are trying to instill. This is the longest song at 17 minutes. Beyond the intro, there is too much and filler and repetition I think, but the song redeems itself; the finale is noteworthy, the piano and violin parts are delightful and dreamy.
"Dementia" starts even slower than the last two songs; sludgy and heavy, with some very low pitched guitars riffs, accompanying a flute. This is also the first time we can hear a guitar solo. "The Children's Sleep" is more like a very sad ballad at the beginning and at the end; much more melodic than most of the album, those are probably within my favorite parts. "Our Way to the Grave" has that creepy intro of impending doom; a contemplative and hypnotizing sadness done by the piano/keyboard. This is a very ambient piece with a powerful finale, the high point of the album.
The biggest flaw I can give to this album is it's repetitive nature, but a worthy experience if you enjoy Doom Metal and it's related sub-genres.
8 / 10
Excellent

"When Death Comes" Track-listing:
1. The Ghost's Song
2. Death Obssession
3. Dementia
4. The Children's Sleep
5. Our Way to the Ground
Aphonic Threnody Lineup:
Ricardo V. - Guitar/Bass
Roberto M. - Vocals
Abel L. - Celo
Marco Z. - Drums
Zack C. - Guitars
Juan E. - Keyboards/Piano
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