German "doom-ridden jazz" outfit Bohren & der Club of Gore have a uniquely sensual and ominous sound, one that's been described in a variety of ways, from dark ambient to orchestral doom. Their closest sonic analogue is composer and David Lynch collaborator Angelo Badalmenti, whose own work on "Twin Peaks" creates a similar kind of eerily cool and unsettling atmosphere. Yet their work is often so dirge-heavy and dark that their outstanding 2002 album Black Earth even earned a mention in Stylus Magazine's Beginner's Guide to Metal, under "Doom Metal."

Bohren & der Club of Gore is not a metal band, not in any practical sense, though it's not hard to see the connection. Their ominous dirges would fit in nicely alongside some of the genre's more droning and avant garde artists, and they've released their last handful of records on Mike Patton's Ipecac label. Furthermore, Patton himself, a man whose own career has seen him leap between a variety of genres, often landing on avant garde metal, makes an appearance on Bohren & der Club of Gore's new album, Beileid. It's a rare occasion for the group to feature vocals in their oddly soothing nightmares, but it's even rarer still for that vocal appearance to be on a cover, in this case a dreamy, 14-minute take on Warlock's 1985 tune "Catch My Heart." And in its own gorgeous, softly enveloping way, the song, much like all of Bohren's material, seems trapped in a strange and confusing world, at once terrifying and quite beautiful.

Beileid, translated into English, means "condolences," which seems a fitting title for an album so melancholy and morose. The mere appearance of a vocalist doesn't make the album any more "pop" than Bohren's previous efforts. In fact, comprising only three tracks at 35 minutes long, Beileid requires a bit of patience on the listener, though it has an immediacy about it that's curiously seductive. The cool, comparatively brief "Zombies Never Die (Blues)" is the most accessible track, the most rhythmically jazzy of the three, heavy on vibraphone and dark allure. Yet the title track is the true standout, the longest of the three tracks, if only by a minute, and a slowly building work of atmospheric intrigue. And here, no matter how hushed, the metal comparison seems most apt, if still abstractly as the ambience evokes a slow yet hypnotic descent into hell. While Bohren & der Club of Gore is a band whose genre is open to interpretation, the sounds they create are one of a kind.

Similar Albums:
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Slow Riot for a New Zero Kanada
Barry Adamson - Moss Side Story
Deaf Center - Owl Splinters

Stream: Bohren and der Club of Gore – "Zombies Never Die (Blues)"

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Jeff Terich
08.03.2011