Zatokrev

The doom is certainly more obvious than the death tag when it comes to the swiss band Zatokrev. The slow and forceful nature of the songs leaves an undoubted impression upon the listener. It's difficult not to take it all in due to the heavy and slow attributes which are glaringly obvious.


"I've chosen the way of noise
the only truth, my language
I really have control and power"


As the lyrics suggest Zatokrev are undeniably powerful. The slow and low guitar distortion encapsulates the listeners mind and entrances them to press on. The bass is just as heavy and very prominent. It plays a significant role in enhancing the heaviness Zatokrev creates with their crushing approach to doom metal. This isn't typical of the doom genre by any means. This could act as both a positive and a negative upon the listeners opinion of the self-titled release. The fact that it shows innovation and creativity is a plus. It is no bound by it's genre and does not give in to conformity, which tends to weigh a lot of doom metal bands down.


Zatokrev are very distinctive, especially when it comes to the scratchy vocals, which are a possible down point. The affect they create may not be to the liking of everyone. They're deathly screams which pierce the ears of the listener. They act as a second attack behind the heaviness of the oppressive bass lines that tie you down and force you to surrender. The unusual style of vocals is a cause for concern. Generally speaking, they do fit the type of music the listener has on their hands, but they are not affective enough. They lack substance alongside the annihilating low bass and heavily distorted guitars.


The drums sound somewhat tribal, with the band sounding quite similar to Neurosis overall. Playing in a style similar to such a band like Neurosis is incredibly risky. Not only do you have to compete with one of the greatest bands of their genre, but you have to compete hard and well. Zatokrev do a competent job of doing so. By far a better job than most bands that attempt a style similar to that of Neurosis, the ultimate heavyweight. Overall the self-titled release is actually very enjoyable. It's heavy style is quite pleasing. 'C Through', although a terrible name for a song, is the highlight of a decent full-length release.

This album is a slow, chugging hallucinatory trip through the dark confines of a troubled mind; at least that's the impression you'd get from listening to this!

The guitars are down-tuned, distorted and extremely heavy; with the riffs to boot. The opener ‘Reveal’ is one of the most encompassing songs (this side of Esoteric, anyway) I’ve ever heard; indeed, when I first heard the song on a promo compilation, I immediately fell into an intense hypnotic trance. The song writing on this album is near-perfect: every riff fits in place; the drums providing a constant battery behind the guitars keeping the music moving, and the vocals…

…ah yes, the vocals. I can see a lot of people complaining about the vocals on this album, but I think they are perfectly suited to the music. They are high-pitched screams with a tortured and somewhat monotonous sound; but don’t misunderstand me here, they are purely complimentary to the album. The sedated quality and the way they’re mixed only serves to enhance the beguiling, droning sound of the band as a whole. There are occasional clean vocals (notably on ‘C Through’ and ‘Fourem’) but rather than developing into a complex melody, they simply add to the wonderfully ambient atmosphere of the album.

The production is very, very appropriate. That’s all I can think to say on that; every instrument is clear and fits together with the others; nothing really stands out, which is exactly the sound that you’d want from this kind of album. I’d rather not focus on just the guitars or just the drums on an album in which the collective sound creates the atmosphere!

This is one hell of a beguiling album, but won’t necessarily appeal to all metal – fans (the songs range from about four and a half minutes right up to fourteen and never really accelerate past mid-paced). I can’t really draw any direct comparisons with any other band in terms of musical style but I personally think the music would be best suited to those who are fond of bands such as Neurosis, Esoteric and Cult of Luna.

A slow and extremely heavy album; the songs are both crushing and sedating at the same time: the hypnotic guitars, the constant tick of the drums and vocals all draw you in, sending you off to another mind-state; so embrace the ethereality and let Zatokrev into your mind.