Search - Evoken :: Quietus

Not for the faint of heart...

Ironblayde | Omaha, Nebraska, USA | 03/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When regular doom metal is just too upbeat and happy, when the pain of life becomes too much to bear, when suicide needs a soundtrack, there's only one band to turn to: Evoken.Evoken occupies a lonely subgenre of doom metal called funeral doom, and as the disc begins and "In Pestilence, Burning" bears down on you with all the weight of a fallen god, you'll find the genre to be aptly named. This music takes all the hallmarks of doom to the next level; the music crawls along at a very slow pace, is crushingly heavy, and is very depressing. This is not something you turn on in the background while you chat with your friends. "Quietus" demands your attention, it demands a dark room and plenty of volume.As for its atmosphere, my first listen to this album conjured up an image that I always associate with Evoken now. Let me see if I can paint you a picture. Broken figures shuffle dejectedly through the vast caverns of hell. The despair of their countless years has weighed so heavily upon them that their features are no longer distinguishable; they are no longer individuals, but shapeless masses, so utterly devoid of all hope that they can do nothing but wander aimlessly in their cold prison. They are consigned to an eternity of enslavement to an infinitely cruel fiend who is never seen, but whose presence dominates nonetheless. Listening to this album is like having your heart crushed in a fist of ice with agonizing slowness."Quietus" is not something I listen to very often. I have to be in a pretty dark mood to really get into this kind of music. But on those days, "Quietus" is pure catharsis. If you enjoy doom metal in general, or just want to punish yourself, get this and you won't be disappointed."

* SHIVER * This CD is... scary.

Carrion Covered Soul | 05/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Oh God... wow. EVOKEN's 'Quietus' definitely lives up to all the hype it's getting in the Underground, and elsewhere. This album is most definitely not for the faint of heart, because 'Quietus' almost literally crushes the listener; only the strong will be able to survive an encounter with this * MONSTER * of a Doom / Death Metal album. The closest thing i can compare 'Quietus' to is a huge, dying beast, filled with infinite hatred and malice... slowly, very slowly, making it's way towards you. Eek. My heart beat still hasn't slowed down, and it's been a while since i turned 'Quietus' off. What else can i say? For me, this is not only the Doom / Death Metal album of 2001, it is * THE * album, period. EVOKEN's musical insight is ugly and inhuman, yet somehow they manage to draw a twisted sort of beauty from the lumbering darkness that they, um, evoke. [[ SIGH ]] I can't even think straight enough to type a decent review because of the sick knot this CD has left in my stomach. Once again, I'm warning you: this is * ONLY * for the brave... the rest of you will hate this CD, not because of the music itself, but because of the absolute darkness that it conjures forth, from within yourself. Proceed with caution. It's music like this that keeps my dwindling faith alive in what works of power ordinary human beings can create. I have to go to the bathroom."

One of the best death/doom bands

Smithy1185 | San Diego, CA USA | 04/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you have any interest in doom metal at all, this is one of those cds that you really must get. Every song on here is crushing, bleak, heavy, and slow yet beautiful at the same time. Quietus is one of the best examples of the genre and if you are into death metal but haven't experienced any death/doom or funeral doom bands give this a try. I advise you to stay open minded though as I know many people who just can't get into these kind of bands because the music is just too slow for them. Anyway this is one of those cds where you can listen and just become engulfed in the music. Every song on here is good but if I can't listen to the whole album at a time I usually end up listening to In Pestilence, Burning or Quietus the most. Also this is supposedly their best cd although I have yet to hear the others so I can't fully comment on that yet."