Band: Todesbonden

Title: Sleep Now, Quiet Forest

Label: Prophecy Productions

Distribution: Suburban

Release date: 23/06/2008

Review: CD

Todesbonden is a project of Autumn Tears / Ephemeral Sun-vocalist Laurie Ann Haus and Jason Aaron Wood (g) and Sleep Now, Quiet Forest is the first full length, having duration of fifty six minutes. The music is a melancholic yet also magical form of Doom Metal, combining elements from Doom-Death (yet without the grunts), Celtic music, neo-Classical (read: ‘Heavenly Voices’-alike) and Gothic into a magisterial and epic journey. The medieval, Oriental and old Egypt-inspired influences make the whole even more open-minded and that’s nothing but positive. The slow Metal compositions remind me a lot to Avrigus, Rain Fell Within and Remembrance, while the Goth / Folk-elements are more Loreena McKennitt or (early) The Third And The Mortal-based. Also Autumn Tears-influences are present, just like those of Dead Can Dance/Lisa Gerrard (sometimes Laurie Ann’s vocals are very Lisa Gerrard-influenced), Dreams Of Sanity and The Gathering. Every song is different, sometimes based on a Metal-base, sometimes built around piano and/or violin, or acoustic guitars, yet whole the time an atmosphere of both coldness and warmth is maintained. This excellent creation is one of the most fascinating ones in Prophecy’s history (and that does mean something, believe me!).

84/100

Ivan Tibos.