It's been just over a year now since I started writing for this site and I remember that the first several promos I reviewed all seemed to fall into various genres which I do highly admit I was not all that keen on. If you read those very first reviews I wrote, you'll know why I had my concerns. One of the biggest genres I took a strong disliking to was Doom Metal. There were others such as Death and Black Metal which I will admit I didn't like either but Doom seemed to be my least favourite for some reason and I thought after requesting a genre change I would never see it again, or so I thought. Nevertheless, the time has come to see if my views on the genre have changed since then with the subject of today's review which is the debut EP from a band called DEEP RIVER ACOLYTES.

Formed in 2011 under their old name DELIVERANCE, this six piece Heavy/Doom Metal band from Finland changed their name in 2014 to DEEP RIVER ACOLYTES and their debut release is a 3 track EP called "From The Voids of Chaos" released independently last month. In this review, I will be analyzing it to see if my mind can finally be swayed by a genre I have not really taken a great liking to as anyone who read my first reviews for this site will know.

Clocking in at around 18 minutes across 3 songs, this debut release from this new band with their new name is not really what I expected from the usual Doom Metal norm. I think the reason why it sounds different in a good way is because elements of Heavy Metal are used as well and that seems to balance things out making the songs sound more enjoyable and if you ask me, that is a big improvement so things are already looking good.

The first two songs on this EP, "Misleaders" and "Dwellers In The Mist" utilize a combination of booth Doom and Heavy Metal elements with a heavier emphasis on the latter genre. I think this makes the songs sound more enjoyable as you have a good mix of heavy guitars, deep bass lines, pounding beats and vocals that don't sound forced or strained which in turn makes the performance quite enjoyable. Sure it still may be a bit hard to make out a few lyrics here and there but there is enough punch in the musical melodies and the performance of the band and the singer to make up for this so things are actually shaping up to be good but it doesn't last.

My only real concern on this EP and the biggest drawback comes in the form of the third song "The Dreams in the Witch-House" which is around 10 minutes long making this the longest song. The other two are at fair lengths around 4 to 4 1/2 minutes in length but because this one is longer, there is more cause for concern as often long songs can be a bit boring if there's not enough enjoyment in the music.

I'm afraid it's the same with this song as it seems to have a stronger usage of the usual Doom Metal elements and not so much of the Heavy Metal melodies like the first two songs and this gives me reason to worry. I think the reason it does is because the melodies just seem lacking in any punch or power in several places as they sound too slow. Also, because it seems to have a stronger emphasis on using elements of Doom Metal, the performance just seems a bit too dull for my liking especially when you bear in mind that this song is just over 10 minutes long.

The only other complaints I have with this EP despite the third song as addressed above is that the vocal performance can often be a bit growly and hard to enjoy at times and the production can sound a bit iffy and out of place in a couple of sections here and there.

Bottom line, the debut from DEEP RIVER ACOLYTES is the slightly better Doom Metal style release I have heard but it's still not enough to turn me over to the genre as a whole. There are a few enjoyable moments here and there thanks to it's usage of Heavy Metal elements which does save it some points but on a whole, it's just not for me. Give this a try if you are a Doom Metal fanatic or are looking for a chance to try the genre but if you're a bit worried this isn't for you then maybe stay away until you're ready to give it a try.