From Bandcamp, “Asylum's Lament” is the debut-album by the Dutch doom-black trio. The music is characterized by low-pitched guitars, slow pounding drums and atmospheric keys. What is special about the band are the frequently used trumpets & horns, and the extremely schizophrenic vocals that are somewhere between timid and very aggressive. The lyrics are about mental disorders, based on true events in a psychiatric facility. “Asylum's Lament” can be described as a melancholic and intense trip in a troubled mind.

 “Paradisious Preludium” is first; a short and somber piano piece. “Throne of Madness” is the first proper song. The combination of the rawness of Black Metal and the slow, punishing power of Doom Metal is immediately evident, and the vocals vary from screams to gutturals. “Desperation” reflects the sound of the song title. It is slow moving, augmented with strings and piano, and the vocals carry the despondent sound. Even the clean vocals make an impact. “Decorating the Willow Tree” is another sad offering, and you can hear the longing in both the vocals and the instruments. I also appreciate how the band fills the background with supporting elements.

 “Never Let Me Go” has a powerful combination of clean elements with harsh and weighted ones. Again, piano augments the sound quite well, as do the despondent trumpet notes. It picks up with a raucous energy at a few points as well. “Distorted Echoes” is really the first song on the album with a melody line that sticks in your head, and man is it pretty. Even when a heartier riff enters, the melody remains, carried at times by piano notes. The ten-minute opus “The Voice That Made Me Do It” closes the album, and it encompasses everything that the album does well…thick Black Metal, slow Doom sounds, and backing elements., especially the piano.

 I very much enjoyed the album, and I found an odd solace and comfort in the nihilistic sound. The band smartly use emotional peaks in some of the lengthier songs in order to keep the listener engaged, and the Doomy qualities of the music is a sound that will stick with you for some time.