Walk Through Fire - Furthest From Heaven CD

Swedish Sludge/Doom Metal

A newish release from the Aesthetic Death label, a EP that the label describes as 'claustrophobic, oppressive, pernicious black sludge' and I guess that is close enough in describing this band from Sweden 'Walk Through Fire.' Information about this band is a bit hard to come across but I know they are a four-piece band that released a full-length album back in 2009. This EP or album depending on how you see it is 4 tracks long, 3 of which are long and one of which is a shorter instrumental track. These Swedes cast a wide-net of sludge, doom and post-rock sounds on this release. At times they push into the realms of funeral-doom, other times they sound like Neurosis or Isis but whatever genre you wish to put them in, they are heavy, oppressive metal just like the label described. Opening with the title-track, it kicks off with a very slow repetitive guitar notes before a sluggish, monolithic riff is unleashed. The track seems to revolve around the percussion at first before after a long, somewhat tedious wait, the song really comes to life via black-metal howls but it is a painful 12 minute slog. To be honest like a reviewer should be, this track doesn't really do much for me. The repeated theme loses its impact to me and while the band truly does crush, the track sounds like Neurosis doing funeral doom and I am not too sure if that is a good thing or not. It also seems to lack the intensity it needs even though the vocals are full of anger. The next track suffers from the same perplexing elements, this one called 'Through Me They Bleed' succeeds at being nasty and it has the stifling atmosphere of the cavern but it just isn't too memorable, at least not compared with other sludge acts that are around today. This track also has the Neurosis played in slow-motion kind of feel but it horribly drags on. The other two tracks though are much better and more memorable. 'The Dying Sun' is based around a 'keyboard drone' that is as mesmerizing as it is haunting and is a great but a little of short of an instrumental. 'The Dead Sun' that closes the release is over 13 minutes of harsh, oppressive sludge-doom that is easily the highlight here. Multi-layered and bleak, this track is a monolithic blackened beast that threatens to snuff out your very existence. The great production of this release helps to push this track into pure-greatness and while it is not original and hardly innovative, the way that is a percussive-based track at least makes a bit different from the norm in funeralized sludge-metal. This is one of those releases that might blow the new sludge fan away but the old-school, long-time sludge listener will most likely find it too predictable, I know that is the way I feel but check it out, they are certainly a band to watch out for...........7/10

Tracks:
1. Furthest From Heaven
2. Through Me They Bleed
3. The Dying Sun
4. The Dead Sun
Spielzeit: 40:34