Rating: 8.2

Country: Finland

Release Date: 2006

Track list:
1. Sown Are The Seeds Of Doom
2. Atonement For The One
3. The Grand Act
4. Agonies Be Thy Children
5. Keep Wandering The Night
6. Ungodly Thirteen
7. The Walk
8. The Pathway

Band Website: Fall of the Idols

Fall of the Idols - Womb of the Earth

Jyrki Hakomäki- Vocals
Vesa Karppinen- Bass guitar
Rami Moilanen- Lead/rhythm guitars
Jouni Shivonen- Rhythm guitar
Tommi Turunen- Lead/rhythm, acoustic guitars
Hannu Weckmann- Drums

After setting the doom underground alight with last year's stunning 'Agonies Be Thy Children' demo CD-R, Fall Of The Idols find themselves straddling a burgeoning current of hype and expectation with the release of their debut full-length platter. It's more of the same, then, as the band continue to flesh out their exceptionally morose, unrelentingly bleak brand of enveloping epic doom, weaned on the eternally fertile teat of Candlemass' most unforgiving moments, as well as flaunting a penchant for Count Raven that appears to be shared with countrymen Reverend Bizarre. The Count Raven parallel materializes a number of times in Jyrki Hakomäki's Ozzy-by-way-of-Fondelius vocal phrasings, with a number of vocal melodies truly echoing moves studied from the 'Destruction Of The Void' playbook.

It would be unfair to suggest that Fall Of The Idols mimic or emulate the legacies of said Swedish stalwarts, however, the music presented on 'Womb Of The Earth' is considerably more downtrodden and anguished than post- 'Epicus' Candlemass or the comparatively effervescent Count Raven - “maniacally melancholy” does not even begin to plumb the surface of this album's ponderous emotional depth, a vast onyx bog of mournful anguish that, more than most any album in recent memory, really explores and encapsulates loss and despair. The arrangements and compositions are not exceptionally original in any sense, yet the band remains defiantly individual and assertively so- something that can be attributed largely to the layered, hauntingly atmospheric vocal approach employed by Jyrki Hakomäki, whose reverb-soaked, multi-tracked, harmonies echo a spectral quality (likening the band to Swabian gloom-merchants Mirror Of Deception, something that is most salient on album closer “The Pathway”, an unabashedly melodic outing that is almost Sigur Rós in its heartrendingly grandiose introspection ) that is reinforced by the droning, repetitious riffing, ritualistic percussion and the sheer VASTNESS of the mix. To listen to Fall Of The Idols is to be ushered, by phantasmal spirits, through collapsed, dilapidated ruins, abandoned shambles that once housed vitality and happiness. There isn't a hint of optimism to be exhumed from the suffocating mire of solemn cheerlessness, and the dogged languor and despondency of the band, at the very least, exudes a frightening sense of determination/conviction.

For all the despairing single-mindedness of the album, Fall Of The Idols manage to imbue the proceedings with a captivatingly hypnotic quality that, coupled with the smothering, billowing atmosphere of the mix, makes each listen a headfirst plunge into the ghastly abyss of sorrow. There is a suspension of time and space that seems to occur with each immersion into 'Womb Of The Earth', and this comprehensive, trance-inducing torpor can only be applauded by this reviewer. The emphasis here is clearly on FEELING, locating the listener in a treacle-thick miasma of animosity and anguish, as opposed to assaulting the listener with a barrage of progressive musical ideas. That is not to say that the album doesn't have its share of “active” moments- the closing of “Agonies Be Thy Children” (the bulk of the album's material appears to be revived demo favorites) has a rocking swing that almost seems awkward when framed in context with the album's depressive slant, but flows effortlessly in the grand scheme of things.

I do think that the album can be a bit exhausting when you're not in the mood for it, and digesting the entire album in one sitting can be a cumbersome, daunting task, something that is not entirely helped by the apparent dearth of counter-melodies in some of the sections (I'm not entirely sure what the point is of having three guitarists and a bassist when they're all plucking away at the same notes- I do find myself wishing that they would embark on different counter-harmonies in spots). For all my complaints, though, the album reflects a thoughtful attention to texture and nuance that continually surprises me- ghostly strokes of moaning, weeping lead guitar pepper select sections, drifting in and out of the mix, whispering faintly in a touchingly forlorn fashion. Nothing is overdone or overwrought here, and the band deftly sidesteps the pretension and wanton gratuitousness that plagues most bands who pursue a similarly gloomy angle. To their credit, as well, the uniformity of quality on the record, as well as the seamless continuity/flow of these songs, lends the album a unified cohesiveness that again exemplifies the degree of conscientiousness and thoughtfulness accorded to this album's conception and subsequent execution. One can also be glad for the resurrection of the unspeakably spooky “The Walk”, a nightmarish stroll through labyrinthine, haunted hallways soundtracked by cooing, nefarious acoustic guitars and slithering, serpentine rhythms.

Depending on your tolerance for doom that derives its heaviness not so much from pronouncedly elephantine riffing but from emotional depth and pervasive, ubiquitous atmosphere, you will either adore or abhor this record. All the complaints I could raise about this record are purely subjective, and are rooted in the fact that I am more partial to more riff-driven brands of doom, and there is no question in my mind that Fall Of The Idols have accomplished, with significant ease, what they set out to do with this debut offering. With more attention placed on developing more intricate counter- harmonies (make use of those three guitarists and bassist, I say!), I think future efforts will be even more convincing. Unwavering, unapologetic DOOM…a band more deserving of the classification than most.

August 6th, 2006