Trending :
  • Psychedelic death/black metal band PLASMODIUM unearth new song via Moshpit Nation
  • As We Suffer – The Fallen Pillars
  • PALAYE ROYALE Share “Nightmares In Paradise” From Hit TV Show PARADISE CITY
  • CVLT OF THE SVN Unleashes “Hellbound” Video From Upcoming Album!
  • HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD Announce “Undead Unhinged” Livestream Event – Airs Friday 30 April
April 17, 2021
The Independent Voice
  • News
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Gig Reviews
    • Book Reviews
  • Features
    • Band Chinwags
    • Model Features
    • The Art and Imagery of the Alternative World
    • Club Focus
    • The Theatrical Voice
    • The Cinematic Voice
    • Fashionable Voice
  • Other Stuff
    • Blogs
    • Media Streaming
    • Competitions
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Album Review Submissions
Search for:

Lares – Towards Nothingness

June 6, 2020June 16, 2020Album Reviews

Rating: 3/5
Distributor/label: https://www.argonautarecords.com
Released: 2020
Buy Album: https://lares.bandcamp.com/releases
Band Website: https://www.facebook.com/laresband

Band line-up:

Flavio Cafiso – Guitars/Vocals
Jörn Zennberg – Bass
Simone Lamberti – Guitar/Synths
Mike Alksnis – Drums

Tracklisting:

1. It Burns
2. Theiaphobic Ansia
3. Cursed With Embodiment
4. SN1987A Space Alteration Machine
5. Grey Haze
6. Oumuamua
7. Catacomb Eyes
8. Towards Nothingness

Review:

Lares are a four-piece blackened doom band from Berlin who formed in 2015. They released their critically acclaimed debut EP ‘Mask of Discomfort’ in 2017 and have performed extensively. They will be releasing their sophomore album ‘Towards Nothingness’ on June 26th 2020 through Argonauta Records. Once again, it was recorded by Jan Oberg (Earth Ship/Grin) at the Hidden Planet Studio of their city.

Whilst much of the harmony in this album is pretty simple, there are some occasions where the chord progressions take you by surprise, just at the point where you think you can easily predict what’s going to happen next. They’re cool tricks, but they don’t mean the music has to so simple on the whole for them to work. The music could have the same chords but have more creative lines on top of them, for example. Instead of them, you mostly get mild twists in rhythms to up the interest. Really they need to be taken further if the band aren’t going down the typical heavy metal/epic hook route. 

Having said that, ‘Grey Haze’ does have a very cool guitar riff half way through but after that, it’s back to the arguably too excessive minimalism. It will perhaps be the album’s biggest highlight to some, but if you’re more into avant-garde structures and challenges to what it means to be metal, it may be some kind of euphoric release that comes at just the right moment rather than an isolated hidden gem. The repetitions in the songs aren’t there for no reason, they do build tension instead of being mere filler.

In conclusion, Lares make use of a number of moods, from sad to tense to plain old evil, but the music kind of sounds like a backing track to melodies that rarely arrive. The use of effects on the guitars don’t really add too much in the way Korn’s effects do, for example. They sound more like attempts to cover up the flaws. Obviously this is doom metal and you may expect it to plod along and not be exciting, but it is lacking that special something a lot of the time. If you’re looking for a Candlemass type of experience with masses of creativity and dark, catchy tension look elsewhere, but if you don’t mind more stripped down stuff this might be for you.

Review by Simon Wiedemann

Other articles that may be of interest:

  • LARES Inks Worldwide Deal With Argonauta Records!
    LARES Inks Worldwide Deal With Argonauta Records!
  • Interview with Lares
    Interview with Lares
  • Walpurgia - Altar of the Goatbaphomet
    Walpurgia - Altar of the Goatbaphomet
  • Blackened Hardcore Act LACASTA Premiere Blistering New Video
    Blackened Hardcore Act LACASTA Premiere Blistering New Video
Share

Post navigation

Sarpa – Solivagus
Interview with Harris Sopovic of Sodomisery

Instagram

Interview with @rioghandarcy is now live https://www.theindependentvoice.org/2021/04/10/interview-with-rioghan/ #rioghan #rioghandarcy #goth #pop #darkwave #gothrock #gothmetal #2021 #interview #music #metal #news #finland #indie #rock #poprock #ep #release
Interview with film makers Adam Leader and Richard Oakes is now live. https://www.theindependentvoice.org/2021/04/04/interview-with-adam-leader-richard-oakes/  The guys discuss their debut horror flick Hosts @darkfablemedia @darkfablerich #Hosts #Horror #HorrorFilm #2021 #media #interview #cinema #cinematicvoice #adaleader #richardoakes #darkfablemedia #ukhorror #frughtfest #totalfilm #bestdeathaward #ivezine
Read our review of Stone Healer's latest release:k

https://www.theindependentvoice.org/2021/03/27/stone-healer-conquistador/

Review by: @satancustard

#band  #rock #albumreview #stonehealer #stonehealerband  #review
Check out our interview with @goldbabyband about their new EP, 'Rabbits'

https://www.theindependentvoice.org/2021/03/23/interview-with-gold-baby/

#interview #bandinterview #goldbaby #rabbits #ep #rock #indie #alternative
Have a read of our interview with Stone Healer about their new album "Conquistador":

https://www.theindependentvoice.org/2021/03/24/interview-with-stone-healer/

Follow Stone Healer: @stone_healer 

#interview #stonehealer #band #newmusic #bandinterview #conquistador #rock #sludgemetal #doom #stonehealerband
Out interview with @obvurt is now live! Check it out here:

https://www.theindependentvoice.org/2021/03/23/interview-with-obvurt/

#obvurt #interview #ivezine #deathmetal #canada #canadian #quebec #montreal #newrelease #newep #metal #canadianmetal
Check out the fresh interview with Lazer Beam talking about their debut self-titled record! https://www.theindependentvoice.org/2021/03/21/interview-with-lucust-french-lazer-beam/

#interview #lazer_beam #newrecord #rock
Check out our interview with Quinton Lucion of @redmethod_ ! 
------------------------------------
https://www.theindependentvoice.org/2021/03/20/interview-with-red-method/
------------------------------------
Interview by Jack Merry (@thedevilsreject.94) #interview #redmethod #quintonlucion #metal #industrial #reworks #bandchinwags #debut #rock

Follow

Book Reviews

Black Banners by Ulrike Serowy (Audiobook)

November 3, 2020

Pages: 18 Released: 2020 Buy Book:...

Compression by Tim Cundle

February 1, 2020

Released: 2019 Publisher: Earth Island Publishing...

Monica Strut – Social media shredder

July 20, 2019

Publisher: Independent Number of Pages: 52...

Archives

Latest Album Reviews

As We Suffer – The Fallen Pillars

April 12, 2021

In Asymmetry – Ashes Of Dead Worlds

April 7, 2021

Grey Aura – Zwart Vierkant

April 7, 2021

Get Social!

Latest Gig Reviews

Blood Chalice via SteelTV

February 11, 2021
CHAOS THEORY

Chaos Theory Festival – 10 Years Of Chaos @ The Dome & Boston Music Room

April 3, 2020

Batushka + Malevolent Creation + Konkhra @ Audio, Glasgow

March 17, 2020
Copyright © The Independent Voice 2020 All rights reserved.
PT Magazine Plus by ProDesigns