Deus Absconditus

Reforming just last year, independent Minnesota death-doomers Living Through Ghosts released an LP this summer that contained a couple of their EP tracks as well as some new ones. Deus Absconditus focuses heavily on the doom side of this hybrid sound, with strong, well-defined riffs plodding crunchily through Trent Bergerson's gurgled vocals. The album's production is squeaky-clean, so the mix presents the sound without any wretched extenal atmosphere or embellishments that a death-doom sound might be capable of. This may not matter; the crawling menace of Shattered House is more than sufficient to oppress the listener's spirits. Wake the Gods, which was present on their debut EP, is the epic centerpiece of the album, with funereal guitar harmonies drearily wailing over the ever-descending riffs; it must be said that it and its predecessor seem to be stronger efforts than the newer tracks, which don't have the same impact as those two. However, the mournful Alone, finishing off the album, has a nice improvised-sounding solo, almost Paul Chain-style. The dissonant chords the guitars use here are a departure from the other tracks, injecting a final note of chaos before the end. Deus Absconditus will appeal more to fans of downtempo doom styles than of faster death influences, but for those, it's quite a good listen.