Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
To the last, I grapple with thee; From Hell's heart, I stab at thee; For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!, February 14, 2007
I am truly not sure where to begin with this review. After being mentally mangled from a weekend of perpetual listening to this amazing album I have a sudden urge to take to the high seas and throw harpoons at sperm whales, even if it means my annihilation. Never has music so effectively and convincingly illustrated not only a story but also a feeling of elemental terror and the mysterious wrath of nature.
The Call of the Wretched Sea might as well be the official soundtrack of Melville's Moby Dick, a story that I was convinced to read after and while listening to this album. Illustrated with surreal precision is the dread of Ahab's suicide mission to destroy God, his insanity and hatred fueling pagan rituals to damn the souls of his crew with him, the whaling ships deployed into violently churning black seas that so effortlessly crush the breath out of men, the blinding sea salt and the gaping jaws of the white whale.
The story is weaved together by deep, thunderous soundscapes, slow melodic guitars on top of discordant, crushing, depressive rhythms and harsh, incomprehensible, bellowing, deep vocals which are implemented in such a way as to represent the inner thoughts of the mad Ahab and at times the dark, elemental side of nature, namely the guttural spoutings of Moby Dick. The vocals are used as an instrument rather than as narration, underlying every dreary moment of panic to intensify the mood of abyssal hopelessness that Ishmael must have felt on the madness hijacked Pequod. Perhaps the most ingenious use of vocals I have yet to encounter!
At some points during the album the oppressive Doom metal melodies are relieved by beautiful interludes interlaced with wind drowned out samples from Moby Dick (1965), Gregorian chanting, and experimental keyboard and guitar work. These little bits of reprieve contrast magically with the fatal sounding, crushing, mystifying rhythms which permeate the album.
This is easily the best record of 2006.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wrestling squids on the ocean floor, March 12, 2008
Before I get started on reviewing this album, I'd like to say first that I do not consider myself a doom metal connoisseur, or even a serious fan of the genre for that matter. I initially approached doom metal from the post rock side of things (Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Sigur Ros, Tortoise, Pelican (which I guess is somewhere in between), etc.). Most of the metal I listen to tends to be blistering, balls-out shred. That being said, I decided to make Ahab my first foray into the somber, dreary world of Funeral Doom.
Most of the reviews I read for this album were glowing. However, as a new-comer to the genre, I was afraid that 'The Call of the Wretched Sea' would be little more than an hour of the same two dissonant chords played over and over on ridiculously down-tuned guitars, with some dude growling unintelligible stuff in the background - and I imagined that Funeral Doom fans would probably think that was the greatest thing since Fruit by the Foot: "Dude, did you hear that part at 41:16 on the first track when the guitarist plays a chord that is totally different from the other two? Awesome...".
When I finally got to listen to the album, my apprehensions melted away, and were immediately replaced with a fear of the cold, icy, depths of the sea and the human soul. From the moment the album begins, it is apparent that the peaceful ebb and flow will soon give way to tumultuous waves of despair and anguish. I thought there was a surprising amount of emotion and development on this album (just because I didn't know what to expect). The band lingers on passages long enough to build up tension, but don't bludgeon the listener to death with the same painfully repetitive patterns. The tracks are quite lengthy - but are effective in creating the colossal structures necessary to convey the concepts of an angry ocean and an angrier whale. There are some really nice atmospheric touches, too, such as the chanted parts.
Overall, this is an incredible album that manages to hold the listeners interest through each massive movement. Even if you aren't a fan of the genre, you may find 'The Call of the Wretched Sea' to be a very rewarding experience. I certainly have.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing, December 19, 2006
I work at a music store. I have heard tons of music this year. This gem is by far, the greatest thing i heard in all of 2006, out of all the music! it is like stepping in an enchanted, dark, bleak, sorrowful dream. It is something that will never become popular because only few can appreciate it, listen to it. It is meant to hide under all the murk that is popular metal. I can only describe it as they do, and that is Nautic Funeral Doom, a beautiful work of art with growls and riffs and soundscapes, and a wonderful concept.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Melville for Metalheads...
Descriptors: Epic, subtle, primeval, melodic, bombastic, haunting, and of course, really, really, really heavy.
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Published on October 6, 2007 by A Pilgrim
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by Ahab 
