Beneath The Storm are a solo-outfit by Igor Shimon, a guy hailing from Slovenia, which was formed at the end of 2012. At the end of 2013, Beneath The Storm released the debut Temples Of Doom (which we, at the Concreteweb-office, didn’t see / hear, unfortunately) via Argonauta Records (followed by a tape-edition via Breathe Plastic Records in early 2014), and now there’s the successor, Evil Reflection, which has a total running time of over an hour. Most tracks last in between eight to twelve minutes; the last one, Frozen, for seventeen minutes. And oh yes, to give you a clue of what will follow: Beneath The Storm are, lyrically and musically, inspired by classic horror movies; that’s why they call their thematical style Horror Doom Sludge…
As a matter of fact, I think this description, Horror Doom Sludge, is the most fitting one possible. Check this. Evil Reflection opens with the track To Dust, which is a monumental piece of extremely slow and bleak-blackened Ultra-Mega-Sludge with a fabulous Funeral Doom attitude. I recognise hints of Esoteric, Unkind, Monolithe, Tombs and Lord Mantis, which are comparable angles that return throughout the whole album. Further on, Evil Reflection also touches the border of Death / Minimal Industrial and Ambient Drone (not the floating atmospheric kind, yet the harsh one). Sometimes it’s rather repetitive and minimalistic, then again, though sparsely and subtly, the stuff gets spiced by elements from Stoner or not-that-traditional Traditional Doom (in case you might get the point…).
The production is pretty much how it should be, though it might have been less dense and lo-fi. For sure there’s a heaviness undefinable, which the ‘true’ fan will search for; but at the same time, it is too much a mish-mash that makes too few difference in between melodic tolerance and acceptable harshness. Therefor the repetititititition of riffing and rhythm might seem pretty dull and, who knows, even annoying after a while.
I certainly like the approach, and I am sure you will too. However, in comparison to many same-spirited combos (and then I will refer to the comparisons I mentioned above, amongst others), this material is little too enthralling, and even much too same over and over again. I do not mind endlessly repetitive structures, as long as there is some absorbing fascination; that, however, is not permanently the case throughout this lengthy sonic experience.
But in conclusion I might assure you this. The terminology of Horror Doom Sludge isn’t that absurd at all. Evil Reflection surely gets best be described as Horror Doom Sludge in a pure form of horrific, doomy and sludgy aural extremity, and in case this description might make you horny, even in a limited, minimal presence, then you have to undergo this sonic experience. Don’t be afraid, and join enjoy the sonic reflection of evilness…