Forum.RttP{doom show methadrone, shroud of bereavement and others}

METHADRONE (USA)
RETROGRESSION
NOTHINGNESS RECORDS

Reviewed by Felix on March 21, 2005.
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This Methadrone is definitely one of the most remarkable bands I came across lately. It is a two-men band, only one of them is known to me, that is Craig Pillard, he is best known for his work in Womb, Disciples Of Mockery and Incantation, but he was also in a great number of other underground bands that are lesser known like Nocturnal Crypt, Carnage, Putrifact, Desecrator and Aggressive Intent. Another remarkable thing that must be mentioned is that they both solely play the bass-guitar, one lead- and one rhythm-bass, or whatsoever. Only filled up with some drum-patterns from a drum machine and a few ambient key lines. That's about it…

The result is therefore highly exceptional, musical wise it is damn heavy but droning at the same time. A lot of distortion makes the basses rumble but the ambient parts of the music makes it again a little dreamy. Though it is hard (for me) to hear the difference between both basses, but the result is definitely surprising and rather special. With some good will Methadrone can be labelled as funeral doom, but it is also way beyond that. Its more psychedelic in the sense of a spacey trip on whatever LSD. Yet, there are some traditional funeral doom elements woven into the music of this two-piece so I think that some lovers of that genre would also be pleased by this band. When I have to compare it with some other acts I think it would come closest to a band like Torture Wheel, maybe not solely on musical grounds but the slightly industrial touch and the overall atmosphere is quite similar, still unique in its own shape.

Like Torture Wheel this is music that needs some more time than the new smooth Roadrunner Records band but it certainly pays of. Let's say that this is for the trained ear or the open minded and to those who are interested, this piece is limited to 111 copies only, so you know what to do…