Novembers Doom - Amid Its Hallowed Mirth
Avantgarde Music
Doom/Death Metal
9 songs (47'33'')
Release year: 1995
Novembers Doom, Avantgarde Music
Reviewed by Jared
Archive review

I have to say that with 2016 coming to a close, I am not exactly happy with myself letting my writing get away from me. Adjusting to my new career has been a bit of a challenge. Let’s just say I’m starting my New Year’s resolution early in getting back into writing about metal, and I couldn’t have picked a better band to revitalize my interest in music.

Novembers Doom easily has a soft spot for me as it's easily noticed by my previous reviews. But one album has remained illusive from me in their discography; their debut album from 1995, Amid Its Hallowed Mirth. Obviously the band has evolved greatly over their 20 years, becoming a death and doom powerhouse. Their first album is a much nastier road to travel, boasting with slow, and heavily dark riffs. The opening track Aurora’s Garden starts right off with the beefy guitars, but also this one is a woeful monster. The dreariness is very much alive in their early work, especially with the clean, haunting vocals from Paul Kuhr that likes to appear from time to time on their debut.

Amour of the Harp continues to lay on the gloomy riffs, with a spectral female voice that surfaces throughout. My Agony, My Ecstasy revisits this hauntingly beautiful voice, but keeps the heavy sludge-like riffing whole. As the album digs deeper, a familiar somber sound is heard in Dance of Leaves like other Novembers Doom albums. A delicate female voice fills the air with a weary and sad sound, accompanied by the even more mournful acoustic guitars. Novembers Doom, even in their early days, were able to still capture a lot of aggression, and also beauty.

This may be the hardest Novembers Doom albums to get into, but still has a darkness within that is no doubt interesting to explore. Indeed this album is heavy, but may have one of the slowest tempos of any Novembers Doom album. It doesn’t mean it isn’t a good album to traverse, especially if you're like me, who can’t seem to get enough of their dismal doom and massive slab of death.

Killing Songs :
Aurora's Garden, My Agony, My Ecstasy, A Dirge of Sorow
Jared quoted 70 / 100
Other albums by Novembers Doom that we have reviewed:
Novembers Doom - Bled White reviewed by Jared and quoted 95 / 100
Novembers Doom - Aphotic reviewed by Jared and quoted 91 / 100
Novembers Doom - The Novella Reservoir reviewed by Alex and quoted 90 / 100
Novembers Doom - The Pale Haunt Departure reviewed by Alex and quoted 90 / 100
Novembers Doom - To Welcome the Fade reviewed by Alex and quoted 77 / 100
To see all 7 reviews click here
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