“Flesh and bone beneath you.”
Vnder a Crvmbling Moon are a little-known group that are prepared to take you on a barge down the Styx. Forbidden knowledge gained from the member’s previous bands (Conjurer and Garganjua) is put to work making epic doom metal, bordering on funereal with its slow pace, sombre mood, and terrible power. I: Oblivion’s style only somewhat overlaps with their last release, 0.1 The Prelude, which was retrospectively made into a Vnder a Crvmbling Moon album to soft-launch the group. On that album, they hadn’t decided quite what direction to take, with black metal influence being strong among other influences like prog and dark metal. What they now unveil on I: Oblivion emphasises the slow walls of sound rather than blast beats. It’s a solid start point for the band as they move to their first label (Church Road Records).
The songwriting keeps the tracks at that consistent pace that makes doom metal work. On “The Watcher”, desolate chords and guttural vocals preside over a sullen mood. A rare moment of black metal savagery at the seven-minute mark is barely contained, before a very quiet delay guitar interlude brings the reprise of the track’s theme. Each trusty riff naturally runs its course – as long as you know you’re indulging in slow, epic songs, you’re in for a good time. A good deal of emotional storytelling is contained in the solos, tastefully trading between different guitars in the mix; they certainly take them at every opportunity.
“A Call From The Void” is a similarly strong doom epic, but I would sweep aside the records first track, “When The Nightmare Came”, which dwells on melodies that resolve awkwardly. A much better sampler would be the accessibly-short “Destruction”, the only track that is heavy throughout, and has a good mix of both vocal styles. Vnder a Crvmbling Moon’sharsh vocals are a chilling, eroding wind; their cleans are spirited and hopeful. They hit that classic high-register doom vocal you can find in contemporary bands like Monolord or Pallbearer.
The mix on I: Oblivion is lacking full studio polish, particularly for the drums which feel a bit limp and gridded. Aside from this, it’s all very solid, with excellent dynamic range and thoroughly layered guitars. The bass is lovely and becomes a key player in the quieter moments, such as “A Call From The Void”’s mid section and outro.
In classic ‘epic doom’ fashion, the major key is reserved for the final track “Salvation”, which is consequently the most satisfying song. The first five minutes encourage a hopeful atmosphere with their lofty clean vocals and more of those luscious lead guitars. The mood darkens for a growled segment, then gradually, the song resolves back toward the intro, navigating there through sampled ocean waves. It’s an enchanting track, strongly reminding me of what Yob or Elder achieve with their album closers.
Vnder a Crvmbling Moon inspire an atmosphere of “distance”: barren vistas that take the weight off your shoulders when you behold them. Like the great epic doom metal albums that have come before, I: Oblivion is composed to absolve the soul, if you’ll let it.
7/10
I: Oblivion releases through Church Road Records on the 19th May and can be pre-ordered through their Bandcamp here.