▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Apotelesma ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Timewrought Kings █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-03-24 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Solitude Productions ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Apotelesma is a doom metal band from Utrecht in █ █ the Netherlands. They were originally formed in █ █ 2012, as Monuments and in 2014, they released an █ █ EP, entitled ôThe December Sessionsö, under that █ █ name which I was incredibly fond of. Now they are █ █ ready with their very first full-length album █ █ which is bound to take you on a journey. █ █ Well, what kind of doom metal band is Apotelesma? █ █ Their focus is definitely on atmosphere, so it is █ █ not in the vein of bands like Candlemass. The way █ █ they bring about that atmosphere, however, has █ █ changed compared to when they were known as █ █ Monuments. Back then, they were utilising more █ █ elements from black metal and mixing it with doom █ █ metal to create an absolute spine-chilling █ █ atmosphere. I am not the worldÆs biggest advocate █ █ for black metal but I do acknowledge how fantastic █ █ it can be to achieve different kind of moods █ █ within a track. The black metal has been dialled █ █ down and the band now use a good mixture of █ █ un-distorted guitars, solos, and a bit of clean █ █ vocals to create an atmospheric feel when that is █ █ what they aim for. You can still expect █ █ hard-hitting moments on this record both slow and █ █ fast, and on The Weakest of Men we get a little █ █ sniff of the aforementioned black metal influence █ █ as it takes the front seat when it comes to the █ █ riffs in the latter part of that track. █ █ The vocals of Mitch lies somewhere in between █ █ black metal and death metal with elements of both, █ █ and on this album he added clean vocals to his █ █ toolbox as well, even though they are not as █ █ prevalent. I have to be honest, it took me a █ █ couple of listens to get used to it. That just █ █ comes down to that I am used to their EP where █ █ there are no clean vocals. After those couple of █ █ listens it was clear to hear the impact the vocals █ █ have on not just variation and atmosphere, but █ █ also the bandÆs ability to tell a story with its █ █ lyrics. █ █ The production on ôTimewrought Kingsö is an █ █ overall step up in quality compared to ôThe █ █ December Sessionsö, but even though it has some █ █ good elements there are also a few drawbacks. █ █ There are two drawbacks for me, which comes down █ █ to the mixing. First off, I love the sound they █ █ got out of the drums, especially the snare. For █ █ this slower type of music itÆs perfect with reverb █ █ on. If added properly, reverb can do you wonders █ █ for the mood of your song or album, and it is █ █ applied properly on this record. However, the █ █ snare is too low in the mix. The hi-hat and also █ █ at times the ride are too loud and they push the █ █ snare back which I think is a damn shame. On the █ █ track The Weakest of Men there is a blastbeat █ █ section and I can barely hear the snare as it █ █ drowns to death. That being said, the performance █ █ on the drums is really great, and it fits the doom █ █ metal incredibly well. There is a good deal of █ █ variation and things going on on the ride, hi-hat █ █ and so on but without trying to steal the thunder █ █ from the rest of the band. The sound of the bass █ █ is also very good but it is for the most part too █ █ loud in the mix, but there are also times where █ █ its volume is fine because it is used as the █ █ primary tool for building atmosphere. I absolutely █ █ love the solos on this album, and part of that is █ █ also the production of them. The solos are used as █ █ a tool to impact your listening experience and █ █ touch something within you with more slow-paced █ █ and melancholic playing. The only problem is the █ █ bass, as I mentioned, is too loud at times. When █ █ thereÆs a solo, the bass tries to get in on some █ █ of the spotlight that is shed on the solos. But █ █ that spotlight should belong solely to the guitar. █ █ The first track, Aural Emanations, is without a █ █ doubt my favourite on the record. The way it █ █ introduces itself in the two first minutes is █ █ simply beautiful. There is not other way to put █ █ it. It just sounds beautiful. The musical duality █ █ between beauty and brutality, achieved both █ █ musically with varied sessions but also with the █ █ new addition of the clean vocals, is absolutely █ █ marvellous. This is something they also nail on █ █ Remnants. The songs on this album are pretty long, █ █ as in three out of five songs lasts more than 12 █ █ minutes, and I must say that not all the tracks █ █ hit a home run with me. Apotelesma are rooted █ █ primarily in doom metal, and on this album they █ █ like to progressively build up the music with █ █ different variations in tempo taking you on a █ █ journey upwards and downwards when it comes to the █ █ ferociousness of the tracks. There are interesting █ █ elements in all of the songs, but I only find █ █ myself returning to the opening track, Aural █ █ Emanations, and Remnants. I love the mid-section █ █ of the latter where the solo comes in after the █ █ superb delivery of MitchÆs clean vocals. Why just █ █ two song sticks with me is simply just down to the █ █ composition of the tracks as thereÆs not enough █ █ meat on the other tracks for me, personally, to █ █ revisit too often. And an album that lasts for █ █ almost an hour and, primarily consists of songs █ █ lasting more than 10 minutes rarely will just █ █ never quite be my cup of tea, sadly. █ █ I am so stoked to finally see the band come out █ █ with an album after their change of name. This is █ █ a band I highly doubt would ever go about making █ █ the same album twice, and I really canÆt wait to █ █ see what kind of experience they will have in █ █ store next. If doom metal is the best thing you █ █ know then this album will definitely have more █ █ mileage for you. Even if it isnÆt your favourite █ █ thing, IÆd bet you can still come away from █ █ "Timewrought Kings" with something. This is an █ █ album that is perfect for the fall- and winter █ █ months. Dim the lights or go for a walk and let █ █ this album carry you away. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Aural Emanations 9:00 ░ ░ 2. The Weakest of Men 12:27 ░ ░ 3. Timewrought 2:53 ░ ░ 4. Our Blooming Essence 14:35 ░ ░ 5. Remnants 13:57 ░ ░ 52:52 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░