Gracefallen

Following a bleak slab of miserable death/doom in 1992 entitled ‘From the Shadows’, Finland’s Unholy proved to be a reliable holdout for consistently restrained experimentation within the format throughout the 1990s. Their fourth and final offering – 1999’s ‘Gracefallen’ – saw them expand their melodic, symphonic, and timbre palette even further in a lengthy work of ruminative poetry. In essence, Unholy insert a pulse into the haunting ambience of Skepticism, adding more pronounced riffs and positively bouncy rhythms by comparison. But the drab, droning guitars, the seasoning of organ textures, the feeling that we are gradually but inevitably descending into a hole of blackness is very similar.

Production is fairly typical for death/doom of a romantic – as opposed to a brutal – edge. Only light reverb has been applied to the drums, and although the snare is relatively weak, with the bass and toms a little on the clicky side, all serve their purpose in providing the scaffolding for the surrounding gloom to hang on. The guitar tone is equally unsure of itself. It embodies that wonderfully soft and immersive distortion that defined so much of death metal in the 1990s, fully capable of articulating complex riffs if required, but just as happy fleshing out atmospheric funeral marches of droning chords and lengthy sustains in the setting of ‘Gracefallen’.

Vocals are perhaps the most energetic aspect of the mix. Pasi Äijö’s voice bears comparison to Luc Lemay, presenting a crisp and tight delivery with undertones of restrained passion. These are supplemented by Veera Muhli’s eerie clean delivery that takes up just as much of a lead role as the traditional distortion. Her keyboards are equally pivotal to the formula, delivered via various church organ sounds, either occupying a textural position or else taking up lead refrains atop the droning distortion of the guitars.

Whatever weaknesses are present in the mix could almost be interpreted as intentional. They all point toward a deep and threatening emptiness at the heart of the music. Beyond the loosely crafted doom riffs, the colourful but undeniably minimal keyboards, and the restrained drama of the vocals, sits a lurking void. Unholy do not need to rely on overworked atmospheres or an obnoxiously boisterous guitar tone to create this sense of void. The music itself – despite its many highs and lows of passion – is relatively understated, leaving the listener to use their own imagination to work out what sits behind the almost transparent compositions.

That’s not to say that Unholy don’t pack any music into ‘Gacefallen’. There are plenty of odd harmonic leads, melodic narratives and tense chord progressions made more so by the uncomfortable length of time some of the notes are left to hang there. But there’s a constant sense of restraint behind it all, as if the music is overly burdened with purpose and therefore unable to truly break out into speed and noise in the way garden-variety death/doom would. The weak production, the eerie half formed melodies, the tension between lackadaisical performances and impassioned vocals, all speak of music deeply conflicted, threading unease into the very fibre of ‘Gracefallen’ from start to finish.

This idea that doom metal could be used to craft a sonic haunted house, a dramatic and uncanny expression of human emotion as witnessed on the stage, at the theatre, or the unabashed emotions of gothic literature. It is the combination of crafting an unrestrained and intense emotional narrative with the raw ability to carry this vision off in musical form that makes this album special. It exists on its own terms and refuses to pander to any metric of good taste or convention.

Originally published at Hate Meditations

Unholy, a split-up, extreme doom metal band hailing from Finland. Their latter release, Gracefallen, is a good example of their work. However, it does not personify their entire musical campaign, not as much as, an earlier release, From The Shadows did. Nevertheless, this album was a fantastic effort at a melancholic, doom-inspired, dark album.

Unholy, unlike other "extreme" doom metal bands (such as Khanate, Ataraxie, Esoteric, etc.) seem to be a bit more melodic, utilizes soloing abilities in their music. The guitars are greatly detuned and distorted. The vocals are harsh, extremely harsh. However, in many songs (like Daybreak) are complemented with a more feminine, clean, yet melancholic and chant-like monologue. The drums are slow... and droning... It seems like the listener is being dragged through a mucky swamp while their captor grinds a rusted dagger along the sides of decrepit trees he walks along.

The reason for my rating being an 85 instead of a 90 or above, is simple. They went downhill with this release. Listening to their debut album, From The Shadows, was a chill-bringing, cold, and creepy experience... Just like doom metal should be. This album doesn't do that. But it is far, far from terrible. It's a solid release by a band that should have continued on their aimlessly dark and warped path.

By far the best album by one of the oldest Finnish doom metal bands. Though wandering from their original sick doom/death edge of their first 2 albums, they kept a trademark wall of noise on Rapture and Gracefallen - known only as UNHOLY. The disc starts off with the heavy first track. "...of Tragedy" is an incredibly bleak, trance-inducing piece with the dark-angelic vocals of Veera Muhli paired up with the ripping scream of Pasi Äijö. Following in the same style, but with different speeds, Gracefallen is a compilation of some of the most depressing music you may ever hear. If you're a fan of the genre, definitely check out their stuff though they're broken up now.