EA — Ea Taesse (review)

Album · 2006 · Funeral Doom Metal

5/5 · 2011-11-27
Wilytank

Here's quite the treat for the modern funeral doom fan: Ea's 'Ea Taesse'. After a long period of intrigue, I've finally had a chance to listen to the whole thing after someone uploaded the entire album in one video on Youtube. I must say, despite the "gimmick" of their lyrical content in some dead language (which you can't understand anyway because you rarely can understand funeral doom vocals), this album has been a very rewarding experience from these reclusive Russians. There's been, in genera, mostly praise for 'Ea Taesse', and it's well deserved.

"Laeleia" begins first with choral wailing, a bell, and some keyboard. When the metal instruments kick in, they feature a nice noticeable difference between rhythm and lead guitar. All the while the choral waling has been going nonstop. when the song finally transitions to the next movement, the waling is replaced by organ, but does return when the first vocal growl is issued. Some little bells or chimes are also used. There's also some nice use od piano and cleaner sounding guitar. Well, already ea has the right qualities for making gloomy, yet beautiful funeral doom. They use their instruments well to create a dense atmosphere of sorrow for this dead culture that they love so much.

"Mea Ta Souluola" begins with those bells/chimes taht sound pretty, yet creepy in a way. This song's first few minutes aren't as beautiful as the first song's, but it does contain a little more gloom. In the first half of the song, the music is mostly reused from the first song with no vocals. Halfway through, they do play new music. during this section, piano and choral wailing make up the majority of the atmosphere, still without vocals. This is a nice transition piece as we head towards the title track. Keyboard ambiance is swiriled around just like it was at the end of "Laeleia".

Leading guitar is added to the ambiance at the official beginning of the title track. The beautiful aspect of the gloominess is back, this time controlled by the lead guitar. The growling returns and none of the music seems to be reused from the previous songs. Eventually, the lead guitar dies down enough to make the vocals slightly more prominent with still a sorrowful riff and keyboards to maintain the atmosphere. After a vocal segment, the guitar breaks into a slow solo, then continues the atmosphere controlled by lead guitar approach used earlier in the song. Finally, with about 9 minutes left, organ replaces the lead guitar as the prominent mood setter. All the while, the choral wailing has bee gooing on in the background. The section from the first song with the cute little bells/chimes is repeated again followed by another section of piano and clean sounding guitar. Keyboards begin building up within the final few minutes joined by choral wailing and finally the metal instruments, a bell, and leading guitar; only for it to all fade away to clean guitar and the sound of wind in the final minute.

Well, I thought it was a worthwhile experience. This is a very strong funeral doom metal album with a good amount of creativity thrown in. I want this album now, and I want to check out their other works as well.