CONVOCATION's "Scars Across," album is a gloomy, haunting, epic Doom Metal album that will leave your senses battered. Finland is supposed to be the happiest place on earth but these guys didn't get that memo.   Death Metal is often considered the most extreme form of music but after hearing this maybe Doom can give that one a rethink. If you don't both have a lot of patience and love the genre, this album will not hold your attention.  It has just four tracks but the shortest one is still over ten minutes in length.  As such, I wouldn't suggest anyone new to Doom start here but if you are a Doom fanatic (and you should be!), it probably won't get better than this.

The opening track, "Disposed," rolls over you like the most terrible thunderstorm conceived.  The riffs are so heavy, so dense, they suck you in like a black hole.  Once Mn's vocals start, you realize it isn't weather or some space elements gone awry but instead an army of demons here to reclaim what is theirs."Ruins of Ourselves," has clever use of a choir.  It singles an impending doom that is brought forth by Ll's monstrous use of his drum kit. His riffs find a nice little spot here between a slow groove and just pure sonic density. "Allied POWs," is probably the heaviest and abrasive track on here but it still manages to mix things up with some clean instrumentation mixed in with the riffs a nice atmospheric melodic lead that brings the whole song to new heights.

As you would expect, the title track is something special.  The clean and very creepy atmospheric opening meets with the sonic waves of the drums.  It builds up appropriately to some deep growls but never really lets go of the intro but instead incorporates it flawlessly into the abyssal music. It might not be music you would choose for a quick trip across town but if you have the time and patience to invest, the album has a lot of rewards.   If you are a fan of Doom I don't see why this shouldn't be on your radar.