This album from Corpselium is quite likely going to end up being one of the most overlooked in the metal world for 2018. But I'll be damned if it isn't one most deserving of attention.

The UK's Corpselium are a band shrouded in mystery. At the time of this writing, I've been unable to find any information on their current or past lineups or even on what year they formed. Somehow, however, that sense of mystique and secret keeping appears to mirror the sound of their music perfectly, to the point that one would almost expect no less. At its heart, 2018's Storm Of Shadows is a doom metal album most of all, but it should be said that it features a far deviation from "typical" doom songwriting. In a way this is a release that feels guided more by aesthetic than anything else, in which the overall mood and ambiance created is more important than the lyrics or even the actual notes being played. A rare and bold songwriting technique, it is nonetheless extremely satisfying, for it demonstrates that Corpselium have a considerably high talent for tonal manipulation and atmosphere, a talent that yields quite successful results at that.

Speaking comparatively, the sound on Storm Of Shadows could probably fairly be said to be something of a combination of Blut Aus Nord and Esoteric, in that the wobbly, dissonant songwriting of the former has been fused with the riff heavy, swirling psychedelic approach of the latter. But even that descriptor doesn't really do what Corpselium have created here full justice, for there are still enough differentiators on Storm Of Shadows to make it a completely unique release unto itself. Quite possibly my favorite aspect here would have to be the vocals, delivered in a spooky, chant like, and almost operatic baritone style. Even while being similar to the vocals in some other doom bands like Dark Buddha Rising or Bong, they still have a very particular flair to them that I can't easily say I've heard anywhere else. The delivery on "Black Rain Fell Upon Us" is just excellent.

At the end of the day, Storm Of Shadows is one of those albums that feels first and foremost like an unbroken ritual of sorts. It's not the type of listen that I would recommend starting, stopping, and then coming back to, but is rather best experienced in one immersive, focused full listen. While it conjures thoughts of other bands and will thus likely appeal to fans of those bands, it's still quite difficult to really name any band that Corpselium display an overly strong similarity to. The overall originality of their work here combined with the top of the shelf hypnotism on display with it makes for one delicious, later year highlight for doom metal.

A maelstrom is brewing upon the Great Ocean. Will ye sail?






13.10.2018 - 21:56
Very good review man, it describes the album in the best way possible since it's a pretty bizarre record. Although I'm not a fan of non-traditional doom, I enjoyed this a lot, especially the vocals are fucking brilliant! Good find mate

've never heard anything like this. Doomy for sure, but with hints of jazz and psychedelia. And those vocals... it wouldn't surprise me to learn that he's a genuine ghost.
Glad you reviewed this. I think it falls into the Xenward category of being too damn weird for most people to ever know about so the exposure will do it some good.