There’s something bad in the water in Montpellier, France. Something tainted and evil, that corrupts the mind and soul of anyone who dares drink from it. Something inky and black that turns normal people into vessels of sadness, despair and raging fury. The previous statements are all complete lies, however just one spin of the new full length from Verdun would lend credence to our terrible fabrications. The 55 agonising minutes found within ‘The Eternal Drift’s Canticles’ sound like they could only have been produced by beings channelling the darkest, bleakest impulses of the human condition. Though do believe us when we say that this is absolutely a wonderful thing.
Doom metal has experienced something of a renaissance in the past few years, with bands like Electric Wizard being tapped to headline the mighty Temples Festival, legends Sleep having reformed to crush a new generation of unknowing punters, and newer acts like Pallbearer casting shadows of sorrow over audiences worldwide. Verdun sit comfortably alongside all the aforementioned acts, whilst never sounding derivative of any. The band are forging their own path through the deep end of extreme music, and this new record is a jaw-dropping account of their talent.
Arriving with a creepy, almost seductively beautiful organ before the first of a whole shipping yard full of riffs spills out of containment, opener ‘Mankind Seppuku’ is as murderous and deadly as its title suggests. The moment the over-amped guitars hit could be easily equated to having a mountain ripped from its footings and dropped right into your ears – the riffs Verdun have crafted absolutely crush your senses. Throughout the record this feeling is repeated over and over again, as if the walls are slowly closing in the longer you listen until the pressure is too great and your head is flattened.
‘The Eternal Drift’s Canticles’ is not 100% pummelling, however. There is a really dynamic mix of vocal styles found throughout, from haunted singing through to Neurosis-esque bellows, adding shade to music that could be too overwhelming if the gas pedal was on the floor the whole time. This deftness carries over to the instrumentation itself, with interludes in every track showing a less aggressive (though still hardly gentle) touch. Some wearily pretty melodies manage to grow through the dirt and serve to only make the intervening slabs of noise all the more devastating when they drop back in.
The band have a keen ear for interesting song writing too – as with much doom and drone there’s a lot of repetition of riffs and patterns, but the band are smart and ensure that this hammering home of a theme is never carried on too long, and the second you think it might start becoming tedious the next section will swoop in and knock you for six yet again. That’s not to say this will be a record for everyone, even within the field of heavy music – those with short attention spans or an overwhelming desire to mosh will find their patience tested on this album, as the tempo very rarely elevates beyond a threatening plod, and the songs themselves all hang close to the ten minute mark. Those with the intestinal fortitude to stick with it will be rewarded though, the intricacies of each song revealing themselves further with each play.
Yet again Throatruiner Records have picked a winner of a band, and though Verdun may not have the hardcore fury of many of their label mates, the intensity and passion in their playing should help them transcend and find an audience outside of the usual bunch of longhairs in Sabbath shirts you’d expect to welcome doom of this ilk. The band took three long years to craft ‘The Eternal Drift’s Canticles’, so although you shouldn’t expect a follow up any time soon, there’s plenty of meat on these bones to keep you chewing for years to come.
JAMES LEE