A Review of 'Bathos' by Aruzz of Foreshadow Magazine

I have been waiting for this one for a very long time, indeed. Having first come across 'Duumipeikon Paluu' demo back in 2002 and then the Split with Umbra Nihil (which in fact featured some tracks from the aforementioned demo), my anticipation for the debut album from this one-man esoteric project from Finland were very high. Finally, after more than 2 years 'Bathos' is here and I have to admit it surprised me more than I expected.

To clear things out, I would not call Aarni a doom band, 'Bathos' is far less doomy than his previous works, but far more interesting. Mr Doomintroll draws from many genres and creates so called "avantgarde mooD musick" or "almost orthodox metallish Lovecraftian-Jungian Kalevala avant-garde music" or whatever you may call it. The main factor on 'Bathos' is guitar in its many variations and it is this instrument which plays the major role on the whole album being the base for much wider selection of various chthonic sounds, eerie melodies, ambient soundscapes, folk elements and whatsoever. The overall feeling is quite unique. I must admit I receive such original piece of music once in a good while. The music seems to be progressing and transcending all the time, revealing new, unknown before, dimensions every single time I put it in the player for a spin. This definitely works in favour for Aarni and although, causing uneasy listening at the very beginning, the album more and more grows on me. I would dare to put 'Bathos' in the same place as 'The Tatterdemalion Express' by Mar de Grises. Both albums are impossible to compare when it comes to the music itself, because the genres are very different, but in terms of originality, inability to describe it in words, uniqeness and very sophisticated atmosphere, they have a lot in common. The last words go for the cover artwork which is simply amazing. Created by Tuomas Makela of Jääportit and Aslak Tolonen, it depicts some outer world, totally odd and as if it was taken from some strange fairy-tale. Another point which highlights oddity of the creature called Aarni. What I also personally like about this band is the fact that Doomintroll is some kind of outsider, living in its own dungeon, creating haunting music and not caring about the outside world. Also the fact that Aarni is a member of Square of Untr00 Doom proves his open-mindness and the ability to ridicule some of the most stupid phenomena happening on the doom scene.

4/5

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