Ablaze in Hatred are a relatively new Finnish group adding worth to a very particular niche of doom that has been brewing quietly over the last few years by the likes of Draconian and Swallow the Sun, one where familiar themes such as loss and heartbreak are met with hope and sanguinity. Its these contrasting elements which allow for a very delicate romanticised sound that is capable of creating an exceptionally startling and rewarding emotional reaction from the listener whilst remaining remarkably heavy and intense.
Its quite staggering how such a young group can create such an intensely rich work so early into their career. On only their first full length, Ablaze in Hatred have churned some of the densest moods, emotions and structures that most bands still struggle to achieve five releases into their career. 'Deceptive Awareness' features some of the strongest songwriting and imagery to emerge in the genre, and an ability to create long expansive songs that rarely tire or fail to engage the listener.
The album really starts to peak on third track 'Howls Unknown' and the mood created here goes virtually unstopped until the end of the album. These songs seem to serve as the perfect accompaniment to closing ones eyes over a glass of port, as wind passes through red velvet drapes and a full moon, especially on the sweeping 'Constant Stillness' or the beautiful finale 'Closure of Life.' This is the kind of imagery 'Deceptive Awareness' brings. It creates a visual engagement as well as musical, similar to that of My Dying Bride.
Sonically, the refined songwriting is assisted by guitar tone that is so immense it's astounding, and a vocal performance nothing short of exceptional. The instrumentation found here all seems perfectly in place, accompanied by a massive production and mixing effort, making the most of the low-end.
One of the things that I have enjoyed most about Ablaze in Hatred is that their intentions seem entirely pure and justified. What 'Deceptive Awareness" brings is an untapped plethora of emotion and feeling, some of the strongest I have ever encountered in the doom genre. It would be all too easy for this to go over one's head, as even for myself it took over ten listens to fully sink in, however with little cliché or predictability in sight, Ablaze in Hatred are able to connect with their listener on an almost personal level and take them on an amazing journey, both visually and sonically. The world is truly their oyster.
- Framus
(See reviewer's scoring method)
