Deathspell Omega

Fire   pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]
Earth  pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]
Metal  pent1 [50%] [50%]pent1 [50%] [50%]pent1 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]
Water  pent1 [50%] [50%]pent1 [50%] [50%]pent1 [50%] [50%]pent1 [50%] [50%]pent1 [50%] [50%]
Wood   pent1 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]pent2 [50%] [50%]

The first album I ever heard by these guys.  My buddy James introduced them to me.  A couple weeks ago I had it in my mind to meditate in the dark while listening to this album.  To be honest, it was terrifying.  You can read about it here.

They already had a 5-star Water rating from me before that experience – but it confirmed it.

They get no stars for Fire because, well, let’s face it – no one wants to dance and have a good time and connect with others with this in the background.

They also get no stars for Earth because no part of this album makes me want to curl into my mother’s arms – at least not to cuddle or be fed.

I gave this album 3 stars for Metal, mostly because a lot of metal sounds to me like it has left minerals behind in favor of retaining toxins, and this album is no different.  That’s a function of the colon – and it feels like it may be pathologically retaining things it shouldn’t.  I could be wrong about that.

So why do I think this album is so Water?  When I listen to it even in the daytime (ha!) it still feels terrifying.  Some metal sounds plain angry to me – not these guys.  This album sounds like it was composed and recorded under the crushing weight of the ocean depths.  From the first note of the guitar, I feel a deep, dark, all-consuming fear.  And I know he doesn’t say this, but to me the first lyric sounds like “I am the terror” and oh, I believe it.

Lastly, I gave them one star for Wood because of the way I picture the singer’s face as he growls.  While his voice mostly conveys fear to me, there is some amount of anger.  I can imagine it in his face as he growls.

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