CoC : Sea of Desperation - Spiritual Lonely Pattern : Review

Sea of Desperation - _Spiritual Lonely Pattern_
(Stygian Crypt Productions, 2006)
by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10)

This is the project of Lefthander (maybe it sounds better to a Russian audience) who is responsible for all vocals and instruments. Whatever else Lefthander may be, he certainly isn't lazy, having been involved in a number of other projects including Groves of Mist, Fatal Rampage, Lamia Phantasma, Raxa and Tenochitlan. These are mostly doom based projects and consequently there is no doubting his exposure and experience in creating mournful passages, only whether such exposure has been of benefit. The answer is a qualified 'yes'. The drums and bass are extremely basic -- Lefthander would be best advised to either dramatically expand his virtuosity in the rhythm section, or preferably to seek additional members or session musicians. They will suffice for now, but as this project develops and the songs become more nuanced and intricate I doubt that his skill level on these instruments will be adequate. The guitar riffs are less basic but are unlikely to cause convulsions of ecstasy in prog fans. Nonetheless, they are effective in driving the music forward, forming a foundation for melodic guitar overlays, not dissimilar to Katatonia. Speaking of which, Lefthander attempts an emulation of Jonas Herske with some horrible clean vox on closer "Htafd". Fortunately, Lefthander prefers a growling style and it is left to acoustic and clean electric guitar to cultivate a suitably morose atmosphere. Overall, this is an album that speaks to its potential rather than its realisation.

Contact: http://stygiancrypt.cjb.net

(article published 24/10/2007)