EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: “THE COLDEST ORCHESTRA” FROM BEREFT, PLUS SACHA DUNABLE’S FIVE FAVORITE DOOM METAL RECORDS!
We’ve been following Bereft withextreme excitement since they first announced their formation, under the name “Bewilderbiest,” back in May of last year. Really, how could we NOT be stoked on the mere idea the group? The members’ resumés read like a list of “Bands MetalSucks Thinks are Friggin’ Sweet”: any project featuring Sacha Dunable (Intronaut/Graviton/MetalSucks columnist), Charles Elliott (Abysmal Dawn), Derek Rydquist (ex-The Faceless), and Derek Donley (National Sunday Law/Graviton) was obviously going to get us all hot under the collar.
Now the band’s debut, Leichenhaus (“Mortuary” in German) is finally ready for release, and we’re happy to report that it lives up to expectations and then some. A conceptual album thematically revolving around a waiting mortuary, Leichenhaus is as doomy and miserable as its subject matter would suggest. And given that it sounds like absolutely nothing that any of its members have worked on before, our admiration for these dudes has now, somehow, grown even larger. Check out the new track “The Coldest Orchestra” below, and then pre-order Leichenhaus in advance of its April 24 release via The End Records right here.
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But wait, there’s more! Sacha Dunable himself has also provided us with a cool story about how Leichenhaus came together, PLUS a list (with commentary, natch) of his five favorite doom metal records of all time. Take it away, Sacha…
Hi, MetalSuckers. As a little added bonus to this track premiere, I thought I’d offer up a little backstory on this record. Back in 2008, around the time Intronaut’s Prehistoricisms was released, I was unemployed for about four months, and had very little to do with myself besides stay home and write music all day. One thing I did to stay semi-productive was sit in my room and record music for a few fictitious one-man bands. The only one that wasn’t completely embarrassing was basically me ripping off a bunch of old doom metal records that I used to be obsessed with. Four years later, I decided to get some friends together and make it into what is now Bereft.
Here are my top five favorite doom metal records of all time that inspired the writing of this Bereft record. If this music interests you at all, you should go out and pay money for these!
Anathema – Serenades
Before these guys turned in a more Floyd-y direction, they were actually a really heavy doom band, right on par with the old My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost records. This particular record got me hooked on early 90’s Peaceville/UK/Euro doom.
Morgion – Solinari
This record came out around the time I was getting into all these bands and it was just perfect. Still holds up as I listen to it right now. I remember reading a quote from someone in My Dying Bride saying it was the best record they never wrote, or something like that.
Thergothon – Stream From The Heavens
This one took some effort due to the fact that it sounds like they recorded the album, put it on a record player, and then had someone hold a radio shack mic up to the stereo to record it onto a warped cassette tape, and then released that cassette tape. Once you get past the recording quality though, it becomes one of the most bad ass atmospheric and depressing doom records you’ll ever hear.
Skepticism – Ethere
This one doesn’t even sound like humans. Everything sounds like it is twenty miles away. The lyrics also make a very convincing case for suicide, based on the facts that nothing really matters, everyone will let you down in the end, and on top of that you are ugly and useless. I don’t think any of these things, but the fact that Skepticism makes me feel that way for a couple minutes one time makes this probably the most “doom” thing anyone has ever made, musically or otherwise.
My Dying Bride – The Dreadful Hours
Definitely the most prolific doom metal band ever. I know this was a later record, but think they improved a lot after that 34.7840409% or whatever that album is called. They went back to their old sound, but refined it a bit. This particular one has a ton of awesome riffs and dual guitar harmonies.
-Sacha Dunable
