WARNING - The Strength To Dream CD

This is doom with such a capital -D- that the capitalization rules must be rewritten promptly for another bigger-size letter to emerge in order to fit the label here. There are five compositions featured, closing on 50-min. The hypnotically academic style of the mentioned Count Raven magnum opus has been captured handsomely, but we have grave near-funeral doom processions, sorrowful elegiac passages, stomping elephantine steam-roller riffs, more poignant balladic deviations, marginally more melodious etudes… but no lead sections, not even a single one; and never an attempt at a more dynamic, not even close to the mid-tempo, song-writing. Not even for a split second. This is a slow-burning, patiently-marching, dark-coloured tank from beginning to end that surprisingly doesn’t seem so overtly threatening, but only due to the excellent emotional clean vocals of Patrick Walker; the man supervises the sombre musical parade with subdued pathos, keeping to a steady attached croon without any adventurous higher notes, exuding composure and authority from the hill where he has supposedly stationed himself in order to more carefully observe the inordinately serious proceedings.