Album Review: Pantheist – Uncanny Times
Reviewed by Richard Oliver
It’s always refreshing to see a local band thrive and especially when a band is in a more niche genre within the metal world. Pantheïst were originally formed in Antwerp in 2000 by Kostas Panagiotou, who is the sole surviving member from the early days. The band are now based out of Cardiff and are very much at the forefront of a movement of dark and atmospheric bands within the South Wales area.
“Uncanny Times” is the seventh album from Pantheïst and is the first full length album to feature professional soprano Linda Dumitru who since collaborating with the band back in 2023 has given Pantheïst a new lease of life and added a whole new dimension to their sound. The music on “Uncanny Times” is rooted in funeral doom metal with slow, lumbering compositions but there are also elements of death doom metal and progressive metal mixed in with harsh vocals from Kostas mixed together with the soprano vocals of Linda.
It is the mix of harsh and bleak doom with the soaring soprano vocals which gives Pantheïst such a huge and distinctive sound and Linda’s voice is nothing short of spectacular with the album really showcasing her range. Her vocals especially on songs such as ‘The Final Journey’ and ‘Requiem For You World’ are guaranteed to have your jaw agape. Kostas also shows how brutal his harsh vocals can be especially on ‘Laughing Falcon’ which is one of the heaviest songs on the album. The musicianship on the album is also excellent from all involved though special mention to guitarist Atanas Kyurkchiev who dishes out some killer solos and punishing riffs (the guitar riffs have to be good when it comes to doom).
Pantheïst have a great album with “Uncanny Times”. If I were to to level any criticism it would be that the songs can be quite repetitive and some go on just that bit too long but doom metal and especially funeral doom metal is a genre where the songs do take their time and demand patience and attention. What is very prevalent in “Uncanny Times” is a bleak and melancholic atmosphere and the album itself is drenched in darkness and despair. If you like the bleaker side of doom or if you love soprano vocals in metal, there is plenty for you to enjoy on “Uncanny Times”. I look forward to seeing Pantheïst perform in the near future and to hear this new material in the live setting.
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