One of the best things about getting the Skull Mountain
album was discovering some bands that were previously unknown to me. On the
Twin Earth Records side was a song by the Italian band, Haunted, and it
resonated deep within my soul; so much so that I had to get ahold of a digital
copy of their newest release, called Dayburner. These 8 songs are fuzz soaked
masterpieces, complete with the haunting vocal work of Cristina Chimirri; who,
in my opinion, has one of the most beautiful voices in the genre.
None of these songs are short, but they are so expertly out
together that they seem much shorter than they really are. Take the opening
track, Mourning Sun, which has an infectious main riff, a bombastic rhythm
section, and is slow, down-tuned song crafting. When Cristina begins singing
the song takes on an almost ethereal element, propelling it into the
stratosphere, and into your soul. This is my favourite track on Dayburner, and
is an excellent start to this record.
The title track begins with a sparse acoustic guitar, and
the gorgeous vocals that Cristina is so great with. When the full band kicks
in, there is serious groove. This is a 9 and a half minute song, as most of
these tracks are, but never do these songs become boring. The band is so adept
at crafting interesting parts that these pieces could be 20 minutes long, and
never get old.
Vespertine has quite a haunting intro, non-distorted tones,
except for the bass. The guitar parts that are distorted are very subdued, used
to create atmosphere and power. Cristina shines in this section, using her
voice to add to the vast atmospheric quality. This one runs almost 14 minutes
long, but is pure doomy magnificence from start to finish.
Haunted is a band that everyone should be checking out.
Their brand of doom is absolutely perfect in my opinion, and I'm already
looking forward to their next album. I would like to thank Ric Bennett for
hooking up the code for me, and thanks also go to the band themselves; for
creating this epic record. I hope you will all go and check out this great
band! Enjoy!!!!
-T.C. Mayhem
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