Ne Vivam

Formed in the Spring of 1994 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Officium Triste have been releasing high quality death/doom metal for 29 years. However, they have somehow managed to remain a more cult band, mostly talked about by doom metal aficionados. Personally, I feel that Officium Triste is one of the greatest and most underrated bands to emerge from the European death/doom explosion of the 1990's. While genre pioneers like the Peaceville 3 (Anathema, My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost for the uninitiated.) and Katatonia had already released their master works by 1997, Officium Triste was just getting started. Officium Triste's debut LP "Ne Vivam" immediately proved that this band was not one to underestimate.

Everything, from the production values to the musicianship to the vocals and lyrics just oozes of quality. The production of this album isn't the most polished that you can hear within the death/doom genre, but it is quite clear, organic and seems to fit the songs perfectly. All instruments and vocal tracks are perfectly meshed with each other, letting every single member of the band shine throughout the recording. As a drummer, I cannot help but feel very impressed and inspired by Martin Kwakernaak's performance. His style seems to borrow from several great death/doom drummers, but mainly from Rick Miah of My Dying Bride and Jonas Renkse of Katatonia. However, Martin brings his own unique flair to the drum tracks. His cymbal work, long winded fills and double kick triplets are all executed with precision and class. Coupled with Johan Tonnon's excellent bass lines, the band already has a very strong foundation in their rhythm section.

As impressive as the rhythm section is, it is the guitars that really take center stage. Guitarists Gerard de Jong and Johan Kwakernaak showcase some seriously impressive song writing and technical skill considering this is the band's debut album. The twin guitar leads weave elegant tapestries of sorrow, evoking the feelings of loneliness, loss and sadness conveyed in the lyrics. "Lonesome" is a great example of how evocative and sad, yet beautiful the guitar parts in the album can be. Even with all of the melodic guitar work, the guys knew when to mix things up and bring things into infectiously heavy, headbanging moments. Just listen to the breakdown about halfway through "Dreams of Sorrow" and see if you don't find yourself at least nodding along to its catchy, yet heavy groove. This delicate balance between the overtly sad, melodic parts and the outright heavy moments makes for a listen that doesn't get boring. The overall running order of the songs seems to have been very well thought out, as each flows into the next with a great ebb and flow. Ending the proceedings with "The Happy Forest" leaves things on a more upbeat note. This song's clean vocals and more upbeat lyrics might be off-putting for some but is yet another fine example of what makes this band and album so great. Though a bit simple in presentation, the lyrics to this song can be quite relatable for some of us:

"Through woods with all kinds of green.
The most beautiful place you've ever seen.
Just feel the vibe, this inner peace.
A forest of joy without deceit.

Trees smile and birds sing songs.
The happy forest is where I belong.
This forest it doesn't lie.
The perfect place for me to die."

This yearning for a more simple and natural life is expressed with conviction, thanks to the incredible vocals of Pim Blankenstein. Pim's approach mainly consists of the tried-and-true death metal style growls, but something about his tone and delivery is very special. His growls are not so guttural and bellowing but are deep and carry a sort of dry sounding tone that is unique. His vocals are the sort that should be instantly recognizable for death/doom aficionados. In time, he would prove to be a decent clean singer as well, but we only get to hear small glimmers of this during the runtime of "Ne Vivam".

All in all, this album should be considered essential for any self-respecting death/doom fan. In my humble opinion, no death/doom collection should be considered complete without this mid 90's era masterpiece.

The Netherlands have a habit of releasing talented Metal bands, specifically Doom/Doomdeath Metal bands; and Officium Triste is by far one of the best.

Reviewed here is Ne Vivam, the third release from these profits of DOOM, and it doesn’t disappoint. From start to finish the only flaw (assuming you consider it a flaw) would be the production, as it’s a little thin. This however adds a “raw” element to the music that might otherwise have been lost.

The mood goes from happy to depressive and back again while all in the same song. This is accomplished while never losing the integrity of the song that’s being played. All of the songs have this epic, melancholic feel to them that is incredibly appealing. The music is tight and executed flawlessly. The vocals are extremely unique; never will you hear a Death Metal vocalist that has this exact tone or delivery.

The guitars have the right amount of distortion and harmonize when appropriate. They more often then not follow the traditional lead/rhythm roles and even throw in a few solos from time to time. The bass plays its role of following the drums. The drums however are amazing, very precise and never over indulgent. The drummer is rather creative and yet seems to be holding back, giving only brief glimpses into his true potential.

This is perhaps the bands best release as the entire album is consistent. With their latter releases, typically only the first two or three songs are good while the rest seem to be filler (good filler, but filler none the less).

In conclusion, this album is worthy for any diehard Metal head to own, not just the Doominoids!