Just a quick review since I nearly spent my whole week-end listening to Ahab's new release and felt I had to say a few words on that one..
Ahab, for those know don't know, is a funeral doom metal act from Germany. Considered by many as one of the best bands since Thergothon and My Dying Bride (two different styles of doom metal I know, but blend them and you have Ahab), 'The Divinity of Oceans' succeeds in delivering one of the most pounding and crushing funeral doom masterpiece since 'The Call of The Wretched Sea'.
The thing about Ahab is that they're different from any other band you'll hear, partly because of the lyrics which were influenced by Moby Dick for the previous album and 'In The Heart Of The Sea' and 'The Wreck Of The Whaleship Essex' for the new release and because of the atmosphere.. the fuzzy, oceanic feel which is somehow very hard to describe.. It could be because of the production (this was what I thought at first) but the sound is crystal clear now (as compared to the Wretched sea) and yet the nautik feel is still present.
The music in itself however, is of a funeral doom pace, with heavily distorted riffs (no speedy, complex riffing with a lot of solos here, just the bare minimum with slow, very slow beautiful melodic solos), earth-shaking drums and death/doom grunts although the clean vocals are ever more present and are, by the way, just wonderful. It's an absolute priviledge to have the opportunity of listening to Daniel Roste's (yes, the same Daniel from Minattsol) clean vocals.
It's no use rating an album like this, just take it the way it is destined to be: an absolute masterpiece.
