Album Review: Asphodelus - Sculpting from Time
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Asphodelus were not on my immediate list of reviews I had planned, yet drawn by its entrancing artwork I found myself enticed to see what these guys are like. Formed in 2012 originally from Kymenlaasko, Finland before relocating to Helsinki, as Cemetery Fog, releasing a number of Demos and an EP, the band ended and reformed in 2016 whereupon they’ve assumed the title of Asphodelus, immediately releasing a Demo and EP in the same year. 2019 finally saw the release of their first full length work, Stygian Dreams, surprising many with its use of baroque art as a cover instead of some crushing vista. Now, four years on, the band return with their sophomore record, Sculpting From Time, penned in for a late August release window and through Hammerheart Records, and showcase how that approach on the visual level was no mistake, depicting something reminiscent of a landscape mired in transient planes. I was very curious to see what this album was like, and so wasted no time delving into Asphodelus.
The general aesthetic this record purports is something unique amongst death/doom; when one looks upon this record for the first time without any prior knowledge of who Asphodelus are, one may presume the band exhibit a vibe reminiscent to Trouble, Saint Vitus or any retro doom act back in the day, then you hear the vocals playing, and the riffs start up too. It’s most unusual to encounter a death/doom record that’s actually vying for a different angle towards this style and hasn’t simply opted for the tried and true downtuned, crushing variant. The vocals aren’t merely heavy but they possess a versatility to them that’s not often heard in death/doom, for their intonations harness a pained vibe that flows with the songwriting. The guitar work, far from typical death/doom, is composed of riffs that bare down on us yet rise and fall just as any vocal delivery would do so. I honestly haven’t heard anything like it.
Returning to the vocals, this might be what really sets Asphodelus aside from many of their extreme metal kin for the vocal performance is much more theatrical and flamboyant than what a band like Asphyx or Gosudar would conjure up as death/doom. It reminds me greatly what bands like Type O Negative or Paradise Lost achieved in their early days, whereby the vocals were just as much a flowing and changing force as the instrumentation was. It’s also something of a relief to find an album like this that doesn’t utilise guttural vocals; the delivery is mainly comprised of this gruff and bellowing form that really helps elevate the band’s presence to more ethereal heights. Additionally implementing clean vocals sporadically throughout the record too, aids Asphodelus in crafting this trance-like ambience. It’s reliving to know the album doesn’t try to kill you; your senses can bear any weight this record throws upon you for I don’t believe crushing soundscapes were the prerogative with Sculpting From Time. I personally wished more death/doom bands adopted this style as it lends greater identity to their sound on the whole.
As we’ve prior mentioned, the riffs to this record are far from your typical death/doom performance. If anything, the tone chosen, and the style of songwriting they’ve opted for, is better suited for death/doom’s lengthier track variants than a crushing style would be; if your senses aren’t being assailed as deeply then a band can afford to actually play longer, and with greater purpose and presence than they could have otherwise. This is helped greatly by the guitar’s lighter tone, as well as a production quality that helps elevate the riffs to a higher vantage point so they aren’t pressing down on us. There are also sequences of calmer playing where the primary songwriting ceases, and the band undergo more stripped back segments that allow us to breathe, acting as a windbreaker before the next sequence is begun. We’ve also got acoustic elements that underlay the main riffs at times too, so obliteration is so far down the list of Asphodelus’ priorities.
What did take me by surprise, but likely isn’t too removed from what the band have demonstrated herein, is the inclusion of piano and synth that isn’t done for the sake of variety in songwriting. Due to the band’s insistence on a retro form of doom, and the ethereal nature their songwriting suggests, the inclusion of these synthesisers and keys feels completely apt to what the band would naturally throw our way. When I first heard piano here, I was happily surprised; the first time I heard a synthesiser formally inducted into their songwriting I didn’t question its implementation since it bled into their primary riffs and vocals so seamlessly. Since the guitar work is a lighter variant as well, the synth work doesn’t get drowned out nor does it feel like a momentary thing; it’s impact is felt because the band have granted it the room and time for its capabilities to be felt. All in all, it makes for a genuinely refreshing listen. I can listen to some death/doom now without the trepidation of being subjected to overwhelming bouts of suffocation.
In conclusion, this is one fantastic death/doom record and half of that is down to the sheer audacity Asphodelus assumed when they wished to write a record that was so far away from the run-of-the-mill death/doom creations we’ve seen lately. It’s an honestly fantastic experience, I felt I could have listened to double this length of a record. Asphodelus, through this performance, could have crafted a two hour record and I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid; it’s simply so different to anything I’ve heard in a very long time. I wanted this record to keep going and going, that a second listen of Sculpting From Time wasn’t just possible but felt absolutely necessary. Trust the Finnish to craft a death/doom record that resembles its style seamlessly throws in completely left-field elements that work wondrously well. I hope this band blow up soon because this record is too good to simply be an underrated gem, and in time I hope more bands catch onto this form of death/doom, if only to learn there’s more than one way to do it. A stellar release.
