Band: Frailty

Frailty are a Latvian Doom-Death band, formed in 2003 in the city of Riga. The 2007 full length promo-demo drew attention of Russia’s Solitude Productions. Through this label, Frailty released both official recordings, Lost Lifeless Lights (2008) and Silence Is Everything (2010), yet in between, the band did release another interesting (yet nameless/ self-titled) recording too, sub-titled as Loneliness Emptiness Sickness. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know, but these three recordings have now been made available again for the international (or at least the European) audience and that isn’t but an orgiastic idea – at least if you’re into dark and oppressing, intelligent and somewhat melancholic Doom-Death from the Old School. Enjoy!

-) Lost Lifeless Lights (2008)

Shortly after the release of the promo-demo, Frailty re-entered the Pentagon studio with Gints Lundbergs, known for his studio assistance for bands as Obtest, Urskumug, Luctus, Argharus, Dissimulation, Skyforger and so on. In mean time, the band signed to Solitude, which made this release, Lost Lifeless Lights, the first professionally recorded official one.

After a creepy, haunting intro, somewhat obscure-industrialised and apocalyptic, slightly droning, the song "I Know Your Pain" reveals Frailty’s musical concept. It is evident that the influence of Gints Lundbergs is a declaration for the massive sound, but the band’s compositions are built upon a concrete basic. This IS ‘traditional’ Doom-Death as it needs to be, atmospheric yet not of the pseudo-gothic kind (cf. Latvian colleagues Heaven Grey), nor the folksy kind (cf. Grindmaster Dead, with Skyforger-members). Many tempo-changes, acoustic intermezzos, floating or almost skin-caressing keyboards, melodic guitar lines, a nice supportive rhythm section, and on top of it: the spirit of the early years! Think early Anathema and My Dying Bride, Saturnus, Mourning Beloveth, Draconian, Winter, Bitter Harvest, etc. Oppressive, darkening, icy, mournful, wretched, it gives a shivering feeling, uncomfortable yet pleasant at the same time (melancholic masochism?). And then again, not that unusual when it comes to this kind of Über-Doom: old Opeth. Don’t think about the most progressing side of these Swedes, yet the technical intensity they are known for. And Frailty certainly are inspired by such intelligently constructed riffing. A few clean vocals appear from time to time (personal opinion: these ones do really suck - leave it, guys), and here and there, the band injects its hymns with subtle elements from Black, Death, Funeral Doom or Viking Metal as well. Most riffs are decent and straight-forward, yet a few technical creations lift these excerpts up high.

The bonus track included, Lost Lifeless Lights lasts for sixty seven minutes. That bonus song, by the way, is a blackened version of "Lugšana", originally performed by Latvian Rock band Monro.

-) Frailty (Loneliness Emptiness Sickness) (2009)

Loneliness Emptiness Sickness consists of previously unreleased yet pretty old Frailty-hymns, mainly written before the actual recording of the debut full length, Lost Lifeless Lights (see above). As a matter of fact, the initial idea was to release this material namelessly (self-release) in 2009. It was recorded too at Pentagon Music by Gints Lundbergs (engineering + mix; the production was done by the band itself) in the period Fall 2008 – Winter 2008-2009, and the recording lasts for thirty three minutes.

The tracks are comparable to those on Lost Lifeless Lights, but overall they do sound much, much heavier, more rhythmic (with an uncompromising no-nonsense attitude) and more, much more technical-oriented (yet not the evident Opeth- or Katatonia-way). Still there’s a lot of variety in musical direction, but the suffocating darkness now seems to overpower the debut’s melancholic approach. Early Anathema, My Dying Bride, Winter or Shape Of Despair still might be not-ignorable influences, yet this time, because of the more intensified compositions and structures, I have to think, more than once, about old Paradise Lost, Amorphis and Thergothon too. The Provenance and Morgion are names that come to mind as well, by the way.

Oh yes, the original release was very limited, and this time it won’t suddenly become ‘the aim to sell millions of’. I have no idea about the amount of editions, yet it won’t be that huge, so hurry up! [what a contrast: to hurry up in order to find such a Doom-piece]

-) Silence Is Everything… (2010)

Silence Is Everything… is Frailty’s 2010 EP-CD, recorded in Vilnius, Lithuania, produced by guitarist/ second vocalist Edmunds Vizla and mixed (+ mastered) at Mints Studio (by T. Timrots). The four tracks have duration of thirty seven splendid minutes, and it might get considered as some fore-taste on the upcoming second full length – tell me, Latvian friends, when will we be able to enjoy this newest effort? Hopefully rather soon?

Anyway… In comparison to the great debut, as well as the splendid and self-titled ‘in-between’-recording, this material is both comparable, and different again, at the same time. The stuff on Silence Is Everything… sounds more brutal and less melancholic; Frailty now seem to expand a wider spectrum anyhow. What does this mean: more variation, a more aggressive sound, and the evolution into ‘self-characteristics’. Explanation: more variation is rather evident. No, the former recordings were not boring at all, but this time both tempo and melodies are more diverse than before. This goes for the technical approach too, which did increase again, and for the aspects taken from different (Death-) Doom-genres. When it comes to the sound, well, it certainly is rougher than before. Damn, if played on an acceptable high volume, this material is skull-crushing. So intense, so oppressing, so dry… And the evolution into ‘an own face’: one cannot ignore the evident sources of inspiration (see both former reviews), but this time it comes with even more diverse, and self-created, details.

No, the band hasn’t evolved into some progressive or modernised Doom-formation. The members consciously prefer the early nineties-approach instead of the 21st century-way, and that’s why I do like this so much – and with me, undoubtedly, many fans of the purest Old School.

Frailty are one of the strongest Doom-bands from the Baltic States, and the (re-) release of these three discs is a divine gift – at least in case you don’t have them yet. The three albums are clearly comparable (read: one cannot ignore it is the same band), yet each time with modest, yet important, differences. And everyone who can appreciate any of higher mentioned bands, will love this material. No scores because of ‘re-release’, but believe me: all of them will start with a nine.

Ivan Tibos.