Arche - Transitions

Melody without melodrama, a difficult tightrope walk in the atmospheric doom sector. Arche from Finland face these challenges more than successfully. The duo around drummer V. Raittila and multi-instrumentalist E. Kuismin (formerly Profetus) understands the clumsy, ethereal and melancholic side of the genre, which is characterized by almost unbelievable heaviness, funeral leisureliness and bitter sweetness. „Transitions“ turns out to be a small miracle.

There are only three songs in those 36 minutes, of which the title track, placed in the middle, takes up a sixth – actually acting as a link between the two epics. The first is “Reverential Silence”, which carves its way into madness via thundering drums and a bone-chilling, yet sizzling atmosphere. Felt very little happens, at least until infernal growls torpedo the supposed idyll and lead darkly melodic approaches ad absurdum. Arche always find their way back to that slow-moving fury, hoarsely slicing through anything in their way – a lumbering, comforting funeral doom masterpiece of the slowest kind.

“In A Solace Light” chooses a slightly different approach, which doesn’t seem to come out of the quark at first, only to suddenly take off as well. Slobbering anger and deep pain score points with an astonishingly high entertainment value, which – at least in theory – shouldn’t work. However, what really makes this second epic take off is the second half, which features shadowy clear vocals that bob along in the background and hint at ethereal chanting qualities. This second voice makes the growls a bit more destructive, coarser … until long instrumental magic lets a spark of hope germinate.

A quirky, haunting fascination accompanies this atmospheric Doom masterpiece. The extremely long, very carefully constructed arrangements erupt in skillful, targeted composure and drive through marrow and bone. In the leaden and at the same time melodically tinged Funeral sector, Arche present a wondrous work that unfolds its beauty only slowly, sometimes colliding with Death Doom intensity and locating its complete power in the epic. “Transitions” has – without question – become a treat, one of the best genre records of 2022 and one of those rough diamonds that suggest great things for the future.

Rating: 8/10

Available from: 16.12.2022
Available through: Transcending Obscurity Records

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