Album title: Heartless
Artist: Pallbearer
Genre: Doom Metal
Nationality: American
Release date: March 24
Position in Discography: Third
Fear Factor: Low
Familiar with this artist? Yes
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little
Average RYM Score: 3.35
I loved
Foundations of Burden but was underwhelmed by Pallbearer's debut,
Sorrow and Extinction, so that's one good, one bad: where will this third album fall? From what I hear, it's not being received that well, but I'll make up my own mind about it as always. I have to say that it doesn't start off as I would expect a Doom Metal album to; far too, not quite upbeat, but certainly not dark. It even seems to merit the extra tag of Prog Rock from Wiki! I'm only two tracks in, but I'm kind of seeing the problem I had with
Sorrow and Extinction: whereas I loved
Foundations of Burden, I found the debut album boring and uninspiring and I couldn't even remember any of the tracks. It's the same, so far, with this. Maybe it'll get better. All right: “Lies of Survival” piques my interest, so maybe this is turning? “Dancing in Madness” starts off well, but it's almost twelve minutes long, so will it last, I wonder? Kind of odd: it seemed to just go, so I guess that length of a song, and it didn't even leave an impression past the first minute or so? That can't be good. The next track is just boring and I'm kind of wondering if I'll even make it to the end; only two tracks but between them nearly twenty minutes...
Meh, all I can say is that if this is Doom Metal, it's like no Doom Metal I've ever heard, and certainly is more leaning towards the progressive side than anything else. That said, it just really isn't very good at all. Quite disappointed.
Check out more from this artist? I've heard all three of their albums now. Whether I'll listen to a fourth, if it ever hits, is debatable.
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes, but real Doom Metal
Expectation Index: 10