When it comes to doom that attempts to capture a powerful and emotive sound, there are plenty of pitfalls that can hold bands back. For every stunningly melancholic and breathtaking effort, there are plenty of doom and death/doom albums from years past that drag on for far too long or feel one-dimensional. But once a group comes around that hits the genre’s high points without succumbing to these types of issues, it’s a reminder of why this particular metal variant is so appealing. Faroese band Hamferð is able to achieve this on their sophomore full length Támsins likam, which comes almost four and a half years after its predecessor. With equal amounts of crushing hooks and restrained melodic passages that are just as captivating, Hamferð has taken their ideas to another level.
Although they may not be deviating that far from the types of song structures that melodic death/doom has become known for over the past few decades, the instrumentation shows a strong understanding of how to pull the listener in with crushing yet melancholic hooks that get under your skin. The first time through Támsins likam is likely to invite comparisons to a number of prominent Scandinavian bands in the genre, but as you make your way through the album Hamferð’s differences become clear. One of their biggest advantages is the use of dynamics, which lets somber melodies hover over the recording for extended periods of time before building to stunning atmospherics and soaring vocal passages. A lot of death/doom bands have a tendency to start loud and then build to an even louder level, but the amount of restraint displayed here makes the climaxes that much more powerful. Támsins likam is the type of album best taken in as a whole, as while there are individual riffs that have a hook to them each song flows seamlessly into the next and sometimes the end of one track and the beginning of the next isn’t always clear. But this doesn’t hurt the material, as individual passages never feel like they’re stretched out to the point of losing their impact.
There are plenty of strong guitar hooks of both the crushingly heavy and melancholic variety to grab your attention, but it’s the versatile performance of Jón Aldará that really helps to propel this album into the spotlight. As the guitar work weaves somber melodies that build in intensity, Aldará moves between powerful growls and sweeping singing along with plenty of pitches in between. It’s always impressive when a vocalist is able to switch from harsh to clean ranges and offer just as much emotion and intensity, and when you add in the much softer pitches that portray grief and sorrow the performance really sticks with you.
Támsins likam is an album that sticks with you after the first time through, as its soft, bleak passages and harsher climaxes remain engaging from start to finish. Hamferð has a good sense of dynamics, allowing subtle melodies and soft vocals to deliver a sense of grief and despair before ramping up to much fuller and heavier compositions. Give yourself a solid block of time to take in the entire album and prepare to get lost in a wide range of emotions with some truly stunning doom. Támsins likam is out now on Metal Blade Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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