Novembers Doom's eighth studio album takes its title from the darkest ocean depths -- the region beyond the reach of all sunlight, otherwise known as the aphotic zone -- and their fans therefore can't be blamed for mistaking this reference as a sign of newfound extremity. But, instead, Aphotic represents something of a balancing act between the brutality of
ND's distant past (though at much faster tempos) and the slightly more accessible evolutionary curve delineated by its 2000s predecessors. To wit: eight-minute opener "The Dark Host" is easily the heftiest band composition in some time, but its initial black metal fury duly gives way to quieter reveries reminiscent of Swedish prog-death giants
Opeth. So too, the unrelenting, double-kick drum-motivated "Harvest Scythe" leads into the gothic-tinged death/doom of "Buried," and then the impossibly tender, minimalist "What Could Have Been," featuring frontman Paul Kuhr in a duet with the angelic
Anneke Van Giersbergen of
the Gathering fame. Quite a study in contrasts, in other words. And the same could be said, to a lesser degree, for the two-part "Of Age and Origin," as well as subsequent extended efforts like "Six Sides" and the broodingly understated "Shadow Play." But while the last cut serves up a meaningful farewell until next time, the former two tracks show a trend toward looser songwriting. In sum, the music here suggests a darker place than even Aphotic's title suggests. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia