CoC : Endless Journey - Endless Journey / Melancholy : Review

Endless Journey - _Endless Journey / Melancholy_
(Backfire Productions, 2009)
by: Quentin Kalis (6 out of 10)

Considering the Russian duo record under the laughable pseudonyms of "Dark Depression" and "Dark Suicide" with English lyrics that sound like the end product of Google Translator, this is surprisingly good. They are rooted in the DSBM trend, but combine black/doom aesthetics with post-rock atmospherics to create something that is able to rise above the morass of Burzum, Xasthur and Shining rip-offs. The riffs and song structures risk being too simple, even accounting for the genre, and the vocals are unnecessarily harsh and distorted given the focus on atmosphere and slight dreaminess. (Could it be a tribute to _Filosofem_?) The expected interludes are not piss-poor drones or dull acoustic arpeggio, but a weird industrial melange that is most reminiscent of '80s synthpop, of all things. It's flawed but a bit different, and with the right promotion that may be all that is needed to give them an edge over their competitors.

Contact: http://www.myspace.com/endlessjourneyrussia

(article published 18/4/2010)