I am not usually a fan of the doomier end of the spectrum, but something about Belgian four piece Bathsheba hooked me in and got inside my head. Opening with ‘Conjuration of Fire’, the spoken word intro gives way to standard doom style riffs before the She-Devil herself Michelle Nocon unleashes her mesmerising sinister vocals.
Very soon a bleak atmosphere had filled the room and completely enveloped me as the track rumbled on, gradually building to a climax until Michelle’s entrancing vocals turned to black metal shriek for a couple of lines, before returning to the previous style. This juxtaposition worked really well, turning the dark atmosphere into something far more sinister.
The pace picks up on ‘Ain Soph’ and the more malicious vocal style is maintained initially to great effect, and the aggression sits well with the quiet orchestral breaks (which are in essence jazz!) before rebuilding to the simplistic but crushing climax. ‘Manifest’ is over ten minutes long and takes us on a rambling psychedelic sludgy journey through the dark, desolate underworld.
The album’s stand out track ‘Demon 13’ follows with a haunting, minimalistic intro which gives way to Michelle’s ominous vocals, effortlessly switching between alluring clean vocals and demonic snarls leaving the listener feeling as though they have been ensnared by a doom metal siren!
‘The Sleepless Gods’ opens with a more plodding style, before Dwight Goossen’s guitar takes hold with its ominous hypnotic riffs counterbalancing the vocals as focal point. The percussion is relentless, and Raf Meukens (Bass) and Jelle Stevens (drums) are worthy of mention for the punishing drive they give this release.
The album is brought to a close with the mighty ‘I, At the End of Everything’, which begins with yet more mesmerising atmospheric soundscapes which gradually build over the course of eight and half minutes to a monolithic slab before returning to the spoken word into which opened the album.
This album has the special something which is so hard to put into words, and is a fantastic release. If an album which is essentially doom can having me saying good things about it, then it must be good! This is not one to throw on in the car and sing along to, but if you have even a passing interest in the darker side of life and music, then this is highly recommended.
(9/10 Andy Pountney)
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