"Our music has been described as something of 'doom-influenced atmospheric sludge' …"- Eamonn O'Neill (vocals)
No Hand To Comfort You is the band's second EP, but the first one released with their complete current line-up. It features 5-tracks, which consist of 3 longer ( 8 minutes+) songs and a couple of segue numbers. The above quoted description is fairly accurate although there really isn't too much sludge involved here. The band is definitely doom-influenced and most assuredly atmospheric, but the production is too crisp and clear for the sludge factor to be present. The music also has a very prominent goth feel to it, as the band alternates between cleaner acoustic guitar sounds and extremely heavy aural assaults. Vocalist O'Neill also occasionally jumps to some cleaner vocals from the predominant death metal growls, and does so quite adroitly. In fact, the entire band sounds like they've been together for a lot longer than the brief time they've actually been a full-fledged band. This EP is a very coherent recording that should please a wide range of metal fans. One caveat may be that there's a certain sameness to the tracks, but this doesn't deter from the quality of the offering. Besides this genre almost demands a strict adherence to a predetermined aesthetic.
This is certainly a very impressive debut EP and I predict some big things to happen to this band if they can get the proper exposure. From the production, to the presentation (the disc comes in a rather attractive cardboard gatefold sleeve), to the music itself, This Weary Hour has released a very solid and professional product. I look forward to hearing a full CD in the not-too-distant future.
Track Listing:
- Algor Mortis
- Frozen
- Harvest
- The Lure Of Prominence
- The Wordsmith