THERGOTHON (Stream From The Heavens) LP
Listening to this LP re-release makes it abundantly clear again, how influential and groundbreaking this album was, when it first came out 10 years ago in 1994. Originally released on CD by Italian AVANTGARDE MUSIC (the successor of legendary OBSCURE PLASMA RECORDS); and following the good reputation they've built with their "Fhtagn-nagh Yog-Sothoth" demo (from which they re-recorded two songs) prior to that "Stream From The Heavens" became an instant success (whatever that is...) in the extreme Metal underground. Once described as "the most depressive album ever made", one can argue about that, or the term "Funeral Doom", which was invented to describe THERGOTHON (as well as acts like SKEPTICISM or EVOKEN, to name but a few, who trodded similar paths). As I'm not too fond of all those categories anyway, let's concentrate on the music then.
And reducing it to just that, "Stream From The Heavens" is still a killer of an album. From start to finish, it surely belongs to the most hopeless, down-tuned Metal records ever made. This is so damn bleak and slow, it's literally devouring you. What's even more interesting (or dangerous if you will), is that it's also very comforting and -in a very bizarre way- cozy, having the potential of making you lose any hesitation of doing things, you probably won't be able to regret anymore. The overtly "wall-of-sound" created by those thick guitars, is sometimes accompanied by acoustic pieces and atmospheric keyboard parts, which enrich the whole picture a lot, and makes it sound even more gloomy. Just like the ending of "The Unknown Kadath in the Cold Waste"! It doesn't really get any better than this!!
Vocally this mostly the deepest of growling, sometimes with a mourning, clear voice setting in. And although the latter being a little off-hey sometimes, it really works out perfectly in the whole run. As fate wanted it, Finnish THERGOTHON disbanded shortly thereafter, at least, leaving with a big bang, so to speak. Now you have the chance to re-discover one of the most classic Doom (there you go...) albums ever made. This LP re-release is limited to 500 copies and comes with noble gatefold cover, alternative layout and liner notes, as part of PAINIAC RECORDS' "Suicidal Doom Series" (being part VIII), so you'd better get your hands on this now, or stop bullshitting later then...
(Opolus XXXIX AS)