Evangelist ‘In Partibus Infidelium’ CD 2011
And still PsycheDOOMelic finds more obscure talent from around the globe, proving that no matter what rock you turn over, in the least expected place, you’ll find someone touched by the influence of the original Sabbath and corrupted by the likes of Candlemass.
This time we have In Partibus Infidelium, the debut release by Polish devotees of the downtuned riff, Evangelist. Written over the last few years the Latin titled album (meaning ‘in the lands of the unbelievers’) is a bold statement of intent that sees them going head to head with their fellow stable mates in creating the kind of heavy majestic doom that the label is becoming synonymous with.
Opening with a spooky spoken word passage ‘Children Of Doom’ strides out with intent conjuring huge melodic riffage that reminds me of Candlemass jamming with Grand Magus in that modern take on the classic doom template. The guitars march with a sense of pomp and circumstance, the drums pound like they are keeping the pace and the bass rumbles like the sound of oncoming thunder whilst the vocals soar over the top.
Much has been made in their press release of being the first (and maybe even only) doom band of this type to hail from Poland and it is only natural that they have looked else where for influences; although you do get the sense that this isn’t a particularly original record despite it’s elegant execution. In fact you could almost stick a pin in the timeline of the doom genre and this album would fit in well at just about any point such is its familiar touchstones.
Thematically ‘In Partibus Infidelium’ owes a large debt to HP Lovecraft with songs like ‘Cthulhu Rising’ and ‘Ulterior Gods’ and the music they conjure to hang this back drop on is rich and thick like the man’s writings and endowed with a sense of the epic proportion befitting such weighty subject matter.
To be fair whilst researching this review I have scoured the interweb thingy in search of more information about the band but found it disappointingly void, to the point I can’t say who plays the haunting solo on ‘Funereal Mounds’ or give rightful credit to the mid range vocals that grace the album, what I can say is that Evangelist commit themselves with an air of perfect professionalism and have produced an album that manages to deliver a fantastic sound over it’s six tracks and has a track for every mood.
‘In Partibus Infidelium’ isn’t going to change your life or your musical perspective, but it shows Evangelist to be a capable band who have made a very listenable album which deserves to be heard.
Label: PsycheDOOMelic Records
Website: www.myspace.com/evangelistdoom
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden