Ark
The Slow Death

THE SLOW DEATH is a Doom band based out of Sydney, Australia. The band initially formed in 2007, and released two albums before welcoming Brett and Dan in 2012. "Ark" is the band's third album, and contains six tracks. The eleven minute "The Chosen Ones" leads off the album. There is a slow, deliberate pace and a long build-up of despondent ambiance. There is a one-two punch of clean female vocals and male death vocals, sometimes on their own and others in unison. I definitely get a SWALLOW THE SUN vibe from this track, though perhaps not quite as heavy. "Severance" is similar in length and meter, but goes a little darker and deeper and with a bit of a more heavy foundation. There is some riff variation that occurs with the onset of some double bass drumming. The mood created here to me is like being stuck in space and slowly swallowed by the infinity of the universe around you. "Perpetuate" is a full fifteen minutes in length. This track has a more gentle and fragile quality to the despondent and hopeless sound. The use of piano is very complimentary as well. If you allow it to breathe, there is a nice layering that occurs as it builds, especially towards the end. The title track "Ark" is the odd man out on the album...a short two and a half minute instrumental that barely registers. However, if you turn it up, the atmosphere created is really quite emotional. "Declamation" clocks in at just under twenty minutes. There is a slow and softer intro that eventually gives way to a richer sound when the vocals enter. At the half way mark, the back drops off and a stand-alone guitar riff chugs in, ushering in a more spirited sound. Closing the album is the seventeen minute "Adrift." Piano and soft, harmonic vocals lead off the song, eventually turning heavy and declamatory. The guitar solo near the halfway mark really adds to this track as well.
The ultra-long length of most of the tracks really allows the Doom to build, grow and take entrenchment in your soul. Though some of it is fairly homogenous, and this is more of a statement on the genre than the album necessarily, they are able to say a lot with minimal instrumentation, because this album hits on the deeper parts of your emotions.<
7 / 10
Good

"Ark" Track-listing:
1. The Chosen Ones
2. Severance
3. Perpetuate
4. Ark
5. Declamation
6. Adrift
The Slow Death Lineup:
Stuart Prickett - Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Keyboards
Mandry Andresen - Vocals, Keyboards
Gregg Williamson - Vocals
Yon McLaughlin - Drums
Brett Campbell - Lead Guitar
Dan Garcia - Bass
More results...