In Memorium - From Misery Comes Darkness

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In Memorium - From Misery Comes Darkness

Written by Chris Slack

Friday, 30 January 2009 22:38

Seattle’s In Memorium was founded in 1997 by Caleb Duerr and Lee Pollard with the goal of bringing metal back to the northwest, something which was sorely lacking at that time. They released one demo/EP in 2000 titled “An Ancient Word. It was a decent black/death metal recording but the production was so thin that it seriously impaired what could have been a great listen. After a few lineup changes 2001 brought about the final musical core of Caleb Duerr on lead guitar, Mike Krutsinger (ex-Darkenwood) on rhythm guitar (and bass on the new album), Steve Fournier on drums, and Susanna Seppa on keyboards. Nihilist (ex-Wraithen and Lord Gore) was brought into the fold in 2002 to fill the vocal spot left by Lee Pollard.

It’s truly amazing what 3 years, a consistent lineup, and some solid production (the album was engineered by Curran Murphy of Nevermore/ Annihilator fame and produced by Todd Hooper at Trillium Lane Studios on Bainbridge Island) can do for a band. The new album, “From Misery Comes Darkness” is hands down the best black metal album to come from the Pacific northwest and one of the best US black metal releases of all time. The CD features solid melodic riffs, thundering drums, haunting keyboards, shrill blackened vocals and leads (yes, leads) that show off Caleb’s technical abilities that never sound too “wheedly” but instead complement the rhythm guitar. To best describe the style of music on “From Misery Comes Darkness” one should mix the intensity of bands like Dark Funeral and Marduk in the faster parts, the melody of Dissection in much of the harmonies, some of the keyboard feel of Shadowthrone” era Satyricon, and Nico McBrain-style drums in much of the slower parts. Don’t get me wrong though, while the influences may be apparent In Memorium manages to blend everything into a style that is uniquely their own. I find it hard to compare Nihilist’s vocals to anyone else’s, let’s just say they’re very Scandinavian in style. The production is clear and everything is balanced well: both guitars are audible, the drums and bass are placed slightly in the background and the tasteful keyboards never overwhelm the rest of the instruments. The highly polished (but not overproduced) sound is a breath of fresh air in today’s black metal scene where the majority of bands seem to think that a “grim and frostbitten” sound made via a 4 track analog recorder is the only way to go.

Even though I’ve been familiar with the band for a while and know they are from the Seattle area, I still find it hard to believe they are an American band as they are so European in style. I recommend this album to anyone who enjoys bands like Dark Funeral, Marduk, Dissection, Immortal and (older) Satyricon, you people will eat this stuff up. Traditional metalheads are urged to at least check out some of the mp3s from the bands site; while they might not be able to get into the vocals they should at least be able to appreciate the melodies and composition of the music. The year is only halfway done but as of now “From Misery Comes Darkness” definitely owns a slot in the years 10 best metal albums. Once this album is pressed and shopped I fully expect In Memorium to be signed, any metal label would be foolish not to at least consider adding the band to their roster.

Track list:
01. Ravenslaughter
02. From Misery
03. Thy Hourless Season
04. In the Form of Darkness
05. Legend of the Well-Fiend
06. Des Todes Gruft
07. Resurrection

For more information on In Memorium (including tracks from the new album) visit their web site at http://www.inmemorium.tk

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