FAITH – Blessed?

The band’s biography sets Faith’s date of birth back in 1984 when the Doom Metal scene was taking its first steps. Taking into account that Candlemass’s debut Epicus Doomicus Metallicus came out of its womb in 1986 then one can accept the possibility of Faith being the first Doom Metal act from Sweden.

The great difference with the two Swedish bands is that Candlemass were making albums without any breaks. Actually, Faith released their maiden full length album Salvation Lies Within in 2003 having only the Hymn Of The Sinner EP in their back catalogue. The next discographic took less time to be make so Sorg came out in 2006. This album took the band on the road making live appearances in their home country and one in Germany participating in the “Doom Shall Rise V” festival. So, after almost 25 years the Doom band from Sweden returns with their third album entitled Blessed?

The fact that this is a Doom Metal album becomes clear after the very first musical notes of “Blessed Void Of Bewilderment”; the slow tempo, the down tuned guitars and the tormenting vibrato build a solid wall of the trademark feelings of darkness and depression. The minor orchestrations add ‘depth’ and the appropriate gloomy atmosphere to the compositions making them sound solid as hell. Faith cleverly avoids the trap that many bands of the same music genre fall into and that is… slow and predictable music that brings the word “boredom” along.

In Blessed? there are some very good ideas that add points towards diversity and some times making the band sound up to date. “Big, Red, Nebraska” is the perfect proof to the latter saying, a comprising fit to the surrounding atmosphere effects and almost “Stoner” rhythm guitars.

Even though Christer Nilsson does not impress the listener with his vocal performance he owns a voice that fits Faith’s music like a glove. His pitch can bring to one’s mind Tomas Vikstrom from Canldemass’s Chapter VI; nothing impressive but still reliable and efficient.

“Polska Efter Ida I Rye” comes to surprise the listener with an almost Classical music structure bringing along violin and nyckelharpa (Swedish Key Fiddle) melodies that join the guitar and the heaviness that follow.

Faith sound extremely compact in the slow tempos serving tracks like “Necropolis” or “Father Pious” with an Epic atmosphere that slightly looks towards the Manila Road’s direction during the latest Voyager era. The album closes with another instrumental called “Leipzigpolska” that again combines violin melodies to the distorted guitars. This track redeems the listener from the general depressive atmosphere with almost high mood and catchy melodies that also reveal the bands high composing potentials.

All in all, this is an excellent choice for the fans of Doom Metal who deeply respect slow, yet heavy tempos and bands like Reverent Bizarre and of course Candlemass are their cup of tea.