Call them an 'occult rock' or 'acoustic & atmospheric doom' act if you will, the fact of the matter is that Texas' Ancient Wisdom are certainly unique. On the second album for Prosthetic Records, Deathlike, the band offer up 12 tracks of lush bleakness, each song practically transitioning into the next with very little change in tempo or feel. There's not much that's 'metal' on Deathlike, although some occasional electric guitars do pop up at times, like on "Far Beyond", "Never Live Again", and "Rebirth". For the most part, this is stark, sedate, and often times creepy stuff, like a midnight jam session on acoustic guitars between Metallica, My Dying Bride, Katatonia, and The Doors. Funeral doom with acoustic guitars? Well, perhaps not that morose, and truth be told there are some really nice vocal harmonies to be found on Deathlike (perhaps the strongest element of this CD), but I was left wanting a bit of a 'pick me up' somewhere, and it never really happened. Give Ancient Wisdom credit though, as this is certainly unique music that might not be for everyone, but it's worth checking out if you like a little doom in your life that's on the mellow side.
Track Listing
1
Intro
2
Let The End Begin
3
Life On Earth
4
Deathlike
5
Far Beyond
6
Rebirth
7
Look Alive
8
Waiting To Die
9
Death Or Victory
10
Last Man On Earth
11
Never Live Again
12
Here Is The Grave