Satanath Records - Reviews: SODP115

Reviews: SODP115

With a 2015 debut album (Burden) and a 2017 split with Marche Funèbre in their review mirror, the Belgian band A Thousand Sufferings are on the brink of returning with a second album, Bleakness, which will be released on November 22nd by Symbol of Domination. It won’t be a happy occurrence, as you might guess from the album’s title and the band’s name, even if you were unfamiliar with their previous creations. But pain and gloom become manifest in different ways through music, just as they do in our lives.

The concoctions of blackened sludge and doom brewed by A Thousand Sufferings is a particularly intense portrayal of disillusionment and death, almost merciless in the scraped-raw immediacy of its maimed and wounding sounds. As displayed through the song we’re premiering today, they channel feelings of betrayal and disgust, torture and fury, with emotionally compelling power — without foregoing the appeal of head-moving rhythms and melodies that will stay with you.

While undeniably dark from beginning to end, “Faces” does present contrasts. Over more than nine minutes, in which the energy of the music builds, crests, subsides, and surges again, the guitars discharge sounds that are haunting, searing, and wailing in agony. They also generate the flickering pulse of high, shining, ethereal tones as well as brutish, jolting riffs made even heavier by a craggy bass tone. The chords become the bubbling of a toxic brew or betray the taut tension of terrible torment. The vocals are especially powerful, a cross between a howl, a yell, and a scream, straddling a fracturing intersection of rage and affliction.

The music harbors grievous lament, but when it really surges, it sounds like a losing fight for life — like an audio representation of the flailing, grasping hands of a person about to be pulled under cold, pummeling waves by a strong undertow. The song as a whole is similarly immersive and intense. Near the end, a flashing guitar cries out in shattering grief. And when it ends at last, all these moments, both hypnotic and terrible, replay themselves in the mind.

https://www.nocleansinging.com/2018/11/08/an-ncs-premiere-a-thousand-sufferings-faces/

This is the second album from A Thousand Sufferings, a Belgian blackened doom band.

We last heard from A Thousand Sufferings in 2015 with their debut album Burden. This was a dark slab of doom/sludge metal, and with Bleakness A Thousand Sufferings have capitalised on the strengths of that early record and produced 41 minutes of tortured and pained heavy music.

The songs are bleak and miserable, (hence the album title), but not without range within this. A Thousand Sufferings are not one-dimensional, and manage to inject texture and contrast into their music, while still keeping to an overall dark and gritty theme.

The mix of ugly sludge metal and old-school doom metal, (think bands like Paradise Lost, Anathema, Tiamat), works well. The latter influences can be felt through the melodies that are employed, while the former primarily comes out in the heavier aspects of the material, (although it’s obviously not always as clear-cut as this in practice).

The different tracks on Bleakness offer different things to the listener. Each one has its agenda, and sees this through with the relentless mindset of the fanatic. This is achieved through focus and determination, but not at the expense of mood and atmosphere. A Thousand Sufferings have developed their skills in composition since their debut, and these songs are effective in achieving their allotted tasks, and grimly affecting in their realisation.

The vocalist’s voice has improved somewhat too, in the intervening years. His anguished vocals fall somewhere between a groan and a scream, and like the music, he recalls a merging of sludge and evocative doom metal.

A Thousand Sufferings have taken a step forward with their new album. Textured and rich, the music borrows strengths from both sludge and doom metal to craft an album of emotive darkness and bleak appeal.

A highly recommended listen.

https://wonderboxmetal.com/2019/01/30/a-thousand-sufferings-bleakness-review/

A Thousand Sufferings are a band from Belgium that has been featured before in this zine and plays a mixture of black, doom and sludge metal and this is a review of their 2018 album 'Bleakness" which was released by Symbol Of Domination Records.

Atmospheric sounding synths start off the album before going into a heavier direction which also introduces melodic riffing onto the recording while some of the tracks are very long and epic in length along with the vocals bringing in more of an aggressive shouting style and the solos and leads also bring in a great amount of melody.

Clean playing can also be heard in certain sections of the recording while the slow riffing is very heavily rooted in sludge and doom metal along with the screams bringing in elements of black metal when they are utilized as well as some of the riffing also adding in a decent amount of tremolo picking and on the closing track a brief use of blast beats can also be heard

On this recording A Thousand Sufferings remains true to their mixture of black, doom and sludge metal, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover dark and negative themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from A Thousand Sufferings and if you are a fan of black, doom and sludge metal, you should check out this album.

http://darkdoomgrinddeath.blogspot.com/2019/01/a-thousand-sufferingsbleaknesssymbol-of.html

Сегодня в центре внимания «Bleakness» — второй полноформат в истории бельгийского коллектива A Thousand Sufferings из Антверпена. Бравый квартет начал свое существование в 2013-ом году, образовавшись усилиями уже опытных музыкантов, участниками/экс-участниками различных формаций. «Тысяча страданий» — не просто метафора. Она максимально точно описывает возникающие при прослушивании чувства. И страдает слушатель не оттого, что процесс доставляет адские мучения (хотя кому как, дело вкуса) а в первую очередь потому, что саунд по-настоящему депрессивный. Он взывает к корням мизантропии и делает попытку надрезать вновь зажившие раны души.

По саунду, во многом благодаря надрывному вокалу и песочным гитарам, материал больше приблэкованный, нежели думовый. По-хорошему, его можно емко охарактеризовать как blackened sludge. Не без элементов post-, prog-. Мученический вокал преисполнен боли и терзаний, приправлен диссонансными каменными потоками и лавой агрессии. Перемежаясь с меланхоличными и драматичными проигрышами, этот тяжелый, словно надгробный камень, пласт готов придавить слушателя в любой момент. Состояние тревоги и некоторой гнетущей, почти пугающей атмосферы не отпускает до финального аккорда.

Такое настроение помимо названия (bleakness — мрачность, оголенность, унылость, однообразие) вполне красноречиво предвкушает кавер-арт от Paint-It-Black Design. В нем каждый смотрящий увидит собственный подтекст, но визуально он практически не оставляет сомнений — работа затронет щепетильную тему. Напомнит о том, каким беззащитным приходит в этот мир человек, оголенным, вырванным из уютной утробы дабы передать свою судьбу в руки Неведомого хаоса.

Подводя небольшой итог, можно отметить, что все 6 композиций на альбоме сохраняют концептуальный настрой и достойны быть услышаны в равной степени. В целом — работа со звуком (на любителя), как и жанровая специфика придутся по душе далеко не каждому. Но тому, кто откроет свой разум и сердце, определенно понравится.

http://homo-faber.net/a-thousand-sufferings-bleakness-2018/

Die heutige Band habe ich glaube ich schon bei ihrem Debüt hier vorgestellt. Heute gebührt mir die Ehre euch das neue Album von A Thousand Sufferings zu präsentieren, welches 2018 unter dem Titel „Bleakness“ veröffentlicht wurde. Die Belgier gründeten sich 2013 in Antwerpen und veröffentlichten bislang 2 Alben und eine Split mit den ebenfalls aus Belgien stammenden Death/Doomern Marche Funèbre.

Auf dem neuen Machwerk bauen die Jungs zum einen ihren Sound weiter aus und verändern ihn zum Teil doch merklich. An die Stelle von klassischem Black/Doom tritt immer häufiger ein dichter, sludge-angehauchter Wall aus dreckigen Riffs, die sich langsam aus den Lautsprechern quälen und den Raum mit bedrückender Stimmung füllen. Auch leichte Stoner-Anwandlungen lassen sich hin und wieder erkennen, was dem ganzen auch gerne mal eine ziemlich psychedelische Note verleiht. Immer wieder drängt sich auch klassischer Black Metal in den Vordergrund, was man aber auch schon vom Debüt so gewohnt ist. Als Ausgleich wird dafür öfters Tempo rausgenommen und ein paar depressiv anmutende, manchmal Stoner-mäßig staubige, ruhige Momente eingestreut, in denen die gequälten Screams und das verhallte Keifen besonders zur Geltung kommen. So gelingt es der Band eine ziemlich gute Balance zwischen Ruhe, Atmosphäre, Gewaltigkeit und Aggression zu schaffen, dass in sich doch ziemlich rund ist. Die Vocals reihen sich in das dicht gewobene Netz gut ein und liefern mit Hardcore-beeinflussten, verhallten Schreien, die immer mal wieder mehr gequält denn energiegeladen daher kommen ein emotional packendes Spektakel, das von den Instrumenten sehr passend umrahmt und untermauert wird. Hier wird schön dreckiger, atmosphärischer und dichter Black/Doom zelebriert, der oft langsam aber nie ohne Kraft aus den Lautsprechern dröhnt und den ganzen Raum für sich beansprucht und schwer auf dem Herzen liegt ohne sich zu stark aufzudrängen. Dabei gelingt es vor allem den längeren Songs wie „Antagonist“ und „Temple“ den Hörer vollends zu vereinnahmen, während das abschließende „Faces“ sogar ziemlich ordentlich groovt, was zwar etwas aus der Reihe fällt, aber weniger ausreißt als gedacht. Bleibt zu sagen, dass sich die 40 Minuten der Scheibe deutlich kürzer anfühlen als sie sind und man derart gepackt wird, dass man fast nicht merkt, dass es schon zum dritten Mal neu los geht.

Wer dicht gewobenen, dreckigen, kratzenden und dichten Black/Doom mag, der sollte sich das neue Album von A Thousand Sufferings anhören, denn „Bleakness“ hält was der Bandname verspricht. Ein dichtes Zusammenspiel aus ruppiger Produktion, dichten Gitarrenwänden und verhalltem Schreien, dass langsam und schwer aus den Boxen rauscht und dabei mit einigen Black Metal-Parts sowie ruhigen Momenten etwas Abwechslung bereit hält.

https://metalviewer.wordpress.com/2019/02/27/a-thousand-sufferings-bleakness/

Je radost objevovat neznámou muziku. Respektive neznámou kapelu hrající oblíbenou muziku. O to zajímavější je, když takový materiál dorazí jako promo. Je mi proto velkou ctí představit kapelu A Thousand Sufferings z Belgie, která světu dopřála povedené album Bleakness, jež je jejich druhé v pořadí. Na kontě sice mají ještě jedno splitko, ale to je druh nahrávky, který dvakrát neuznávám. To už musí bejt.

A Thousand Sufferings se usadili v black metalu, do kterého rádi vstřikují volnější zádumčivější injekce, které odpovídají doom metalu. I přes více jak pětiletou existenci věřím, že jde o poněkud neznámé jméno na scéně. Nyní si jej však můžeme připodobnit ke kapelám jako je třeba Kalmen, se kterým sdílí určitou tajuplnost a dobrou hru v pomalejších tempech. Spojitost zde vidím i v případě vokálu, jehož způsob řvavého frázování v čistější poloze dodává hudbě neobyčejný ráz. Je pravda, že mi to občas přijde až moc nervní a trochu rozčilující, ale toho zpěvu zde zas není tolik, aby to začalo dlouhodobě překážet. Druhá asociace, která mi v mysli vytryskla, je s kapelou Der Weg Einer Freiheit. Ti dnes zažívají velmi vzestupnou tendenci a jsem za to vcelku rád a kapele to přeju. Podobnost mezi Belgičany a Němci však nyní vidím především v kytarové hře. Specifické riffy, svižný pohyb zápěstí a klasický zvuk, který mají v Německu na podobný black metaly snad patentovaný.

Tahle nahrávka báječně roste od prvního poslechu. Nejdříve dokáže zaujmout tím, kterak si pohrává s náladou a skvěle vyvažuje svižné pasáže těmi klidnějšími. Respektive úplně dokonale působí intro, které pozvolna nabývá na gradaci, aby se pak hudba rozohnila s druhou skladbou. Ta hned od začátku seká skvělé kytarové kejkle a dusá klasickým tempem podobající se kontejneru na sklo jedoucím po kolejích. Na druhou stranu nejde o tolik tradiční black metal, který by se v mladých rukou jevil jako další variace Wolves In The Throne Room potažmo Deafheaven. Takže žádnou další kopírku typu Daerrwin nečekejte. A Thousand Sufferings sice do vašich sluchovodů nepřivedou nic, co by bylo pro scénu inovací, ale dělají to po svém a především s vlastním vkladem do muziky, což je stopa, kterou člověk vlastně vždycky hledá. Doom / blackové vody jsou hodně tmavé, někdy mělčí, někdy hodné Mariánského příkopu. Tůňka, kde se Belgičani cachtají, už nějakou plaveckou zdatnost vyžaduje.

Upřímně jsem to vážně nečekal. To, že si mne nějaké neznámé promo takhle získá. Ale já jsem od přírody nedůvěřivý a nejdřív pochybuji, než se do daného plně ponořím. Takže pokud to máte podobně, hoďte předsudky stranou. Album Bleakness vás sice neuhrane, ale jistě zaujme. Dokáže nabídnout kvalitní zážitek s nápaditým black metalem.

VERDIKT: A Thousand Sufferings sice do vašich sluchovodů nepřivedou nic, co by bylo pro black/doomovou scénu inovací, ale dělají to po svém a především s vlastním vkladem do muziky, což je stopa, kterou člověk vlastně vždycky hledá.

http://www.echoes-zine.cz/recenze/a-thousand-sufferings-bleakness

Dalle Fiandre ecco giungere nelle nostre case il suono oscuro e malvagio degli A Thousand Sufferings e del loro secondo capitolo discografico, 'Bleakness', uscito per la Symbol of Domination. La proposta del quartetto belga vede in un black doom il loro focus principale che si palesa, dopo l'intro affidata alla title track, con la seconda "Antagonist". Si tratta di un pezzo che mette in luce pregi e difetti del combo fiammingo: ne ho apprezzato sicuramente il riffing stratificato, cosi come la voce non convenzionale (nè in growl nè in scream, ma un urlo emozionale sulla scia dei Primordial), cosi come pure le malinconiche parti arpeggiate che danno un certo respiro all'ascolto del brano. Insomma, pare tutto perfetto eppure c'è un ma che non riesco ancora a definire, e che mi lascia un po' titubante di fronte alla proposta dei nostri per cui auspico di poter essere in grado di delineare almeno al termine di questa recensione. Forse, in primis non mi ha convinto troppo il suono delle chitarre, oppure la registrazione che appare troppo secca. Anche perchè ribadisco, le qualità ci sono e si sentono in un finale tonante di sofferenza ai limiti del post-metal, che sembra venir fuori più preponderante nella successiva "Clouds", in cui avverto un certo fastidio nella proposta vocale del pur bravo Pj, quasi come se mi mancasse un grugnito o un urlaccio ferino. Forse è un mio problema, un'abitudine che andrebbe debellata, però pur apprezzando l'offerta dei nostri, si percepisce che ci sia qualcosa da migliorare, un po' come quando vai in macchina, senti un rumore anomalo ma non riesci ad afferrarne l'origine. Eppure nelle note ritualistiche di questa song, avverto un che degli Urfaust quasi a darmi un input di influenze verso il quale volgere un paragone sin qui difficile da trovare per i nostri. Ancora un altro lungo pezzo con gli oltre otto minuti di "Temple", un pezzo doomish ma comunque dotato di una forte connotazione black, che mi fa accostare ancora una volta i nostri agli irlandesi Primordial, grazie e soprattutto a quei chitarroni ultra ribassati e ad un'atmosfera magica nella seconda metà del brano che me ne fa rivalutare enormemente il valore. Ve l'ho detto che sono io un po' dal carattere ondivago. Certo quando parte "Ghostriders" mi sembra di sentire i Bathory più epici e dire che si tratta di una cover di Johnny Cash! A chiudere ci pensa l'epic doom di "Faces", un altro gran prezzo che lascia le mie titubanze iniziali ad un mero ricordo e ci consegna una band davvero dal grande potenziale, che limate alcune cosine, potrebbe davvero regalare ottimi sviluppi futuri. Cerchiatevi assolutamente questo nome.

https://thepitofthedamned.blogspot.com/2019/04/a-thousand-sufferings-bleak.html

Now here's some creepy and heavy shit... A Thousand Sufferings, a band from Sint-Amands, Antwerp, Belgium, plays a mix of sludge and doom metal, with a pretty distinctive blackened vibe. Bleakness is their second album and it's the kind of stuff that you necessarily don't want to put on when you are filled with negativity. I mean, you cannot get any kind of mental comfort from a release like this, that's for sure.

The album is filled with sorrowful, ominously dragging, distorted riffs, lots of almost tangible angst and just about everything that doesn't get your (negative) state of mind up. Vocalist and guitarist PJ Turlinckx fits his job like a glove, with his snarling and demonic vocal tone, reminding me of Cronos of Venom in some serious pain every now and then, and giving me some creeps whenever he decides to switch to this specific vocal style that is out of this world. "Ghostriders," which is originally a Stan Jones song, "Ghost Riders in the Sky," also got a nice treatment in the hands of these gifted Belgian sludge/doom masters. The songs range from five to nearly 10 minutes in length, so one can hardly use the album as background music if you want to get the best listening experience out of them.

I must say A Thousand Sufferings was a very cool find, even though this stuff isn't for everyone. Keep your kitchen knives hidden carefully when you decide to give this a spin or two, OK?

https://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php?revid=11140

Hoy toca seguir con el considerable paquete promocional a la carta que me envió SATANATH RECORDINGS. El turno es el de la banda belga A THOUSAND SUFFERINGS, cuarteto formado en 2013 en Antwerp y que tras un Split con sus compatriotas MARCHE FUNÈBRE (su último Ep lo reseñé aquí) y un larga duración, vuelven a la carga con Bleakness, editado por SYMBOL OF DOMINATION.

El sonido es un Black Doom difícil de encasillar a priori, ya que alterna tanto pasajes más Old School tipo inglés como otros que rozan el Avantgarde y esa forma de Sludge corrosiva con un pie en el Post Rock que se lleva tanto ahora (véanse por ejemplo PROCESS OF GUILT). Sin embargo, lo que prima es el metal extremo en su más pura esencia y Bleakness es un disco de Black Doom con todas sus consecuencias. Además, sus temas siendo más o menos largos en conjunto son 40 minutos, lo que hace que la escucha no sature y se escuche con bastante facilidad.

Es encomiable el nivel de intensidad que alcanzan y es que no decae el nivel del disco en ningún instante. Pasajes que tiran más del Black atmosférico se mezclan con otros cargados de distorsión Sludge pero lo que más me tiene enganchado es esa doble línea simultánea que llevan de guitarras ultra cortantes con una base rítmica a medio tiempo (al estilo de los olvidados ALASTIS). Eso sí, los toquecitos post Hardcore están ahí, aunque bastante mezclados con otros estilos.

Abre la instrumental "Bleak" con una lentísima línea de guitarra a lo MY DYING BRIDE que se queda flotando en el ambiente junto con la base de efectos, mínimas percusiones marciales y voces lejanas, a la que sigue la cabalgada de "Antagonist" con un tempo rápido bastante cercano al Black. Cuando coge fuelle y entran las voces crean una amalgama pseudo trashera con producción semi sucia perfecta que se mantendrá a lo largo de todo el álbum.

La afinación de las guitarras tiende al Black contrastando con unas voces rasgadas pero no guturales bastante inteligibles. Pasajes más meditabundos te meten a NEUROSIS en la cabeza (no para mal) primando muchísimo la atmósfera a la técnica, lo cual para mi gusto es de agradecer. El hecho de contar con dos guitarras da mucho empaque y el constante rasgueo de la rítmica es lo que más recuerda al Post Rock instrumental aunque hay una cosa curiosísima... no sé si es las voces o qué, pero a veces parecen una versión aventajada de VENOM. En definitiva, 10 minutazos de intensidad y cambios de ritmo bastante conseguida.

El Black a medio tiempo vuelve a irrumpir de lleno con "Clouds", sobre todo como digo en la base rítmica... impresionante el riff de guitarra y la forma de cerrar el tema. Mismas características para la más larga "Temple" aunque a mitad de tema surgen recovecos propios del Death/Doom a lo PARADISE LOST de su época más melódica y finiquitando el tema en un in crescendo asfixiante.

Ya digo que IN THOUSAND SUFFERINGS me ha parecido una banda fresquísima, y así lo demuestra el tramo final de "Ghostriders", cargadísima de épica a lo BATHORY, tanto en voces (coros) como en guitarras (otro referente que no he citado y que está muy presente en Bleakness) y la monumental "Faces", quizás el tema más enclavado en el Doom Death pero sin perder el sustrato que podría conectarlos con YOB por ejemplo.

Muy recomendable, aunque la portada juegue al despiste.

https://lamuerteteniaunblog.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-thousand-sufferings-bleakness-symbol.html

Toen we A Thousand Sufferings in 2017 aan het werk zagen in Het Bos in Antwerpen schreven we daarover: 'A Thousand Sufferings brengen dus vooral een lekker potje doom/black dat aan de ribben blijft kleven. Waardoor we uiteindelijk toch over de streep worden getrokken.’

Deze band is ontstaan uit uiteenlopende bands binnen de Belgische blackmetalscene. Die ervaring binnen die scene zorgt ervoor dat een technisch hoogstaand potje black/doom wordt voorgeschoteld waar geen speld valt tussen te krijgen. Gitaarriffs snijden als vlijmscherpe messen door je vlees en het drumgeroffel gaat telkens door merg en been. Maar het is vooral de opvallend rauwe en verscheurende stem van PJ Turlinckx die ons het meest over de streep trekt. Die laatste beschikt dan ook over een stem als een klok, waardoor voornoemde poorten van de Hel nog meer openzwaaien. Dat merkten we vorig jaar nog toen we de band zagen aantreden op het gezellige festival Unholy Cogreation. De band bracht ondertussen met 'Bleakness' een album op de markt waar die walmen van intensieve zwaarmoedigheid je eveneens vanaf de eerste tot de laatste song de keel dichtknijpen.

Na een - naar de normen van deze schijf - vrij korte, dreigende intro zijn we vertrokken voor een reis naar de donkerste kamertjes van onze ziel. “Antagonist” is niet alleen oorverdovend lang uitgesponnen song van bijna tien minuten, die voornoemde donkere klauwen grijpen om zich heen, alsof ze bloed hebben geroken. Bloed van de mens welteverstaan. Duisternis zorgt vaak voor nachtmerries en angstig om jou heen kijken. A Thousand Sufferings slaagt erin jouw meest weerzinwekkende demonen op te roepen op deze schijf, op een enerzijds trage maar meedogenloze wijze. Om anderzijds, eens alle registers opengetrokken, die oorverdovende geluidsmuur op te trekken die je hart letterlijk door midden scheurt. “Temple”, “Ghostriders” en het negen minuten lange “Faces” zijn dan ook allemaal gebouwd rond die totaalbeleving waarbij je je hart in je keel voelt kloppen, en je op het puntje van je stoel zit te rillen van pure angst. De bijzonder griezelige aankleding laat geen streepje zon door. En dat zorgt dan weer voor één van de meest angstaanjagende nachtmerries, die u zich prompt voor de ogen haalt.

Net zoals op dat podium is het de kruisbestuiving tussen die vlijmscherpe riffs , verpulverende drumsalvo's waardoor wervelstormen zorgen voor de ene na de andere aardbeving, met een rauw en onaards aanvoelend stemgeluid dat ons de ultieme doodsteek toedient en dat ons het meest over de streep trekt. 'Bleakness' is geen plaat voor tere zieltjes, want de zenuwen staan van begin tot einde gespannen tot je - eens de rit over is - wakker wordt badend in het zweet van angst. Kortom: A Thousand Sufferings haalt de meest donkere gedachten bij ons naar boven, tot we compleet waanzinnig zijn geworden. Dit is het soort horrorscenario waarvoor wij graag, met een lekker potje popcorn, de cinema bezoeken. Dat is ook het soort black/doommetal waardoor we gewillig de confrontatie met onze meest duistere demonen aangaan. Puurder dan dit kan duisternis niet zijn.

http://www.musiczine.net/nl/cd-reviews/item/74617-bleakness

El sello ruso Symbol Of Domination, una división de Satanath Records, publicó a finales del pasado año 2018 el segundo álbum de los belgas A THOUSAND SUFFERINGS, un disco que venía precedido del debut de la banda, titulado “Burden”, que vio la luz en 2015 y el split en directo con MARCHE FUNÈBRE editado en 2017. Un nuevo lanzamiento que fue grabado y mezclado en CR-Studio con la posterior masterización en Blackout Studio y que fue bautizado con un nombre que hace justicia a la desolación sonora que contiene el álbum: “Bleakness”. A este título hay que sumar la portada creada por Paint-It-Black Design, que aporta un simbolismo visual y perturbador que sirve de complemento a la música del álbum, haciendo que el conjunto funcione perfectamente.

Para describir lo que hacen A THOUSAND SUFFERINGS habría que citar las influencias que toman del Black Metal, el Doom y el Dark Metal para dar forma a su poderosa mezcla de Metal oscuro y evocador. Y es que sus canciones están llenas de sombras, crudeza de antaño y un espíritu épico que hace que la desolación fluya con aires de grandeza. No es de extrañar que te vengan a la cabeza bandas como CELTIC FROST, DARKTHRONE, TRIPTYKON o BATHORY, ya sea por el rollo de vieja escuela, la frialdad macabra o la épica oscura. Y el resultado es francamente bueno, dejando una colección de seis temas de tiempos medios, desgarrados y con melodías memorables que hacen de la escucha toda una experiencia que te mete de lleno en el abismo sonoro del disco.

Casi al final del álbum, en el quinto corte exactamente, A THOUSAND SUFFERINGS nos reservan una sorpresa en forma de versión, uno de esos temas que cuando empiezas a escucharlo de inmediato reconoces la melodía. Me refiero a la adaptación que el grupo ha hecho del clásico “Ghost Riders in the Sky”, escrito originalmente por STAN JONES e inmortalizado por grandes como JOHNNY CASH, al que han dado la vuelta por completo para llevarlo a su terreno y lo han llamado simplemente “Ghostriders”. Y es que “Bleakness” es uno de esos discos en los que cada tema cuenta ya que todo está envuelto en ese halo depresivo y épico que estos belgas saben recrear magistralmente, incluso en una versión de una canción de 1948. De modo que solamente me queda recomendar su escucha a cualquiera que guste del Black Metal con atmósferas épicas y depresivas.

https://noizzwebzine.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-thousand-sufferings-bleakness.html

«... из взбурлившего озера явился огромный змей, поднял голову свою, точно свод, и пасть раскрыл, будто пропасть, и с ревом пошел...»

Чудо Георгия о змие.

Монумент. Blackened Sludge/Doom Metal монумент прямиком от Symbol Of Domination, саблейбла Сатанат рекордс, а более точно - из бельгийского города Синт-Амандс. Второй альбом уже. Как летит время,... а первый был запущен в 2015 году как раз Satanath Records. Поверьте. А я проверил. Вот цитата.

«Низкочастотный армагеддон начинает сканировать местность в поисках живого, а вокал продолжает витийствовать, но его предсказания уже совершено понятны и прозрачны. Спасения не будет. А низкочастотные будто бы стоунеровские гитары вполне ощутимо роют грунт, перекапывают его в поисках дефицитного «доброго и вечного». Ибо в их отсутствии туда будет прикопано все остальное».

Прямо угрожающе звучит. Как и музыка наших экстремальных бельгийцев A THOUSAND SUFFERINGS. Дело в том, что, как указано выше, они вооружились стильной пилой, на которой написано "Blackened" и с ее помощью терзают немилосердно и сладж, и дум, да все, что попадет под руку. Получается просто террористическая волна, которая понемногу вздымается по ходу альбома. Это заценят настоящие любители медленных жанров. Да собственно и не только — шире - круг металлистов, не зашоренных на одном-двух стилях.

Этому (оценке) поможет енный вокал PJ. Он еще на гитаре исполняет. Но об этом чуть позже. Этот двухбуквенный гражданин настоящий!!! вокалист, а не просто любитель поурчать в микрофон. Столько эмоций он укладывает в микрофон!..., это просто тьма. Одухотворенный сильнейшими чувствами голос - это дар для музыканта. Про модуляции промолчу, для PJ - это мелочи. Но его отработка в трагедийном плане … это шок, это как подзарядка телефона сразу от розетки (просьба не повторять это в домашних (и любых) условиях). В низком регистре, когда он переключается, - это пение в опере небольшого динозавра. Понимаю, несовместно, однако исполнение в трэке Temple в первой половине вас кое в чем убедит. Сильнейший вокалист. Гхм, о нем можно писать долго, чуть ли не о специфике исполнения в каждой песне этого альбома.

А для такой группировки такой певец и нужен. Другое дело, что не всегда находится такой уникальный кадр. Да к тому же гитарист. Думаю, он из основателей команды. Которая держится сейчас в стабильном составе, и ломит тяжкую музыку с упорством экскаватора.

Сладж-дум в исполнении A THOUSAND SUFFERINGS, это как раз то, что указано в названии группы. Но меломаны стального саунда внимают такому материалу с благоговением. Это факт.

PJ — поклонник неокласиики, и ее обильно включает в тело думовых трэков. Это как будто тренд стиля? Но у кого как. У PJ получается изысканно и одновременно монументально, о чем я и писал в начале. Я думаю, это от того, какая выбрана оболочка — в нашем случае дум-сладжевая, она дает прибежище роскошному и сложному мелодизму, поглощает его, а там - как мощным радиационным облучением, приспосабливает к своим целям. В итоге и появляется впечатление большого сооружения, которое постепенно, из-за своего веса уходит в почву.

Сейчас музыканты усиленно репетируют, кажется, они грозят новым медленным атомным ударом по полям, засеянным человечеством, иссеченным попсой и поп-металлом. Просьба готовиться заранее.

И тут же про саунд, A THOUSAND SUFFERINGS записывались и микшировали материал в студии CR-studio. Не знаю, чем она была знаменита ранее, но сейчас она может выставлять на фронт-баннер ЭТУ работу, ибо глубина ее и атмосферность непостижима человеческими средствами. Черт, не забудьте счетчик Гейгера.

https://vk.com/wall216331265_3993

I feel that a band name should in sort represent the sound of the band. A band name like Satan’s Penguins (it is a real band. check Youtube for proof) doesn’t really work if you want to be taken seriously. A THOUSAND SUFFEREINGS work much better. This Belgian band play a sort of black/doom metal that I find extremely entertaining. You could almost call this atmospheric black metal, if there ever was such a term. All jokes aside. This is full of the melancholy that I like in my black metal. a really nice album.

http://battlehelm.com/uncategorized/a-thousand-sufferings-bleakness/

Fantástico segundo álbum dos belgas A Thousand Sufferings, que trazem para o seu doom metal um sentido real de desespero ao qual se junta a desesperança também do black metal. Uma autêntica muralha de som que nos coloca num estado espírito propício a passarmos fechados num cubículo, a gritar. Não será propriamente o desejável mas o poder com que bate poderá ressoar com alguns dos nossos demónios interiores. É um trabalho sem dúvida forte e que aponta para uma banda com um enorme potencial – já realizado.

https://worldofmetalmag.com/

http://www.musiczine.net/nl/cd-reviews/item/74617-bleakness

When the band Vex was put on hold, some members continued in a new band, called A Thousand Sufferings. This Flemish horde debuted at the very end of 2015 with the four-tracker Burden, their debut for Satanath Records from Russia. I was honestly impressed by this first effort. For some additional information about the earliest years, I’d like to refer to the review of that album (see link). Anyway, things went silent, yet in Autumn 2017, A Thousand Sufferings did release a very limited split-EP (10”) with their brothers from Marche Funèbre (a review on these last ones’ latest EP, Death Wish Woman, will be uploaded soon).

This review deals with A Thousand Sufferings’ latest effort, Bleakness, which was released in an edition of 500 copies (*) via Symbol Of Domination Productions, a sub-label of Satanath Records, which did release the debut Burden. Bleakness was recorded and mixed at the CR-Studio already a couple of years ago (2016 – 2017), and the result got mastered at the very beginning of Spring 2018. The band resigned their contract with label owner Aleksey, and now we can deeply enjoy this new piece, which lasts for about forty-one minutes.

[(*) regular ‘jewel case’ edition, including eight-page booklet with the lyrics, artwork by Paint-It-Black Design (however, I do not totally comprehend the link in between the ‘emotional’ musical side of the band, and the semi-gore cover painting, to be honest), and layout + design done by Mister Korolyov himself]

Bleakness starts with Bleak, a very ‘bleak’ piece for sure. It is an instrumental one (or better: there are no words and lyrics, yet lots of painful, anguished and wretched screams), with a very, eh, bleak atmosphere. Indeed, this introduction is remarkably trend-setting, mingling elements from melodious DSBM, funereal Doom, sludgy Drone and Atmospheric Ambient Metal with quite some hypnosis and tragedy. With the next piece, Antagonist, the quartet shows its teeth (pieces of lacerated flesh and drops of blood included). Melody is a keyword, for the whole instrumental section focuses on melody. Especially the permanent presence of high-melodic, little tremolo-alike lead riffs defines this approach. Yet the whole rhythm section too supports the melodic approach via superbly supportive rhythms and bass guitars. And when talking about the rhythm section, one cannot ignore the well-presented drum patterns. The latter strengthen the heaviness for sure; not only by being harsh and thunderous, yet in a very intense yet supportive way. And yes, this goes for all compositions on Bleakness. Sometimes you get a fabulous solo (cf. excellent pieces, especially towards the end, like in Temple or Clouds), a sudden outburst (like in Faces or Antagonist) or a total deceleration (like the opening sequences of Temple)

The material is not just ‘heavy’ and ‘pounding’ the whole of the time. Acoustic intermezzi are part of the story too. Let’s get back to Antagonist, for example. This song has such (semi) acoustic interlude, carrying a certain ‘Post’-attitude, bringing forth an atmosphere of profound integrity at the one hand, and mesmerizing escapism at the other. Only the better Post-Hardcore / Sludge / … bands are able to create such organic equilibrium in between the introvert acoustic passages and the intensity of the sludging parts. A Thousand Sufferings succeed to do so…

And then I have not mentioned the varying vocals (by PJ) yet. Here too, the listener might dissect elements from different yet related genres, from Post to Black Metal, from funereal to wretched, from psychotic to evocative. It’s all of them, yet you cannot put the result in one single box for sure, for the totality (song writing + performance, instruments + vocals, and the different negative moods) is quite unique!

Remarkable too, I must say, is the cover version of the cowboy’ish track Ghost Riders In The Sky, originally composed and performed by Stan Jones (about seventy years ago, and still a folkish monument within Mater Terra’s musical history!), and covered a hundred of times before (most known version, probably, is the one by Johnny Cash). It sounds even more haunting than the original version, and it must be the most intense and breath-taking one too. I think it is remarkable how natural it seems for A Thousand Sufferings to have such a classic recomposed enormously, with recreating the whole package, yet still maintaining the atmosphere and emotion of the initial edition. The impact is huge, yet the ‘tribute’-alike elegance is even more huge. Not the best composition of the album, yet absolutely necessary to mention!

https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/thousand-sufferings-0

"Bleakness" is the second full-length album by this blackened doom metal quartet from Belgium. The music they display is about the lonely vibe and suffering of the human soul and mind. Therefore, during the 41 minutes long material you will be able to experience and visit six different soundscapes filled with the most agonizing misery ever. Their stuff is so dark and sorrowful that it can radiate only depression to the listener's inner self, so be prepared for a journey into the aural layers of discomfort. To my surprise, the fifth track is appeared to be the cover song of Stan Jones' well-known "Ghost Riders in the Sky". Let me tell you honestly, I've heard different versions of this classic western tune, but the way A Thousand Sufferings covered it was beyond all my possible expectations. They've managed to give this song a super depressive, kind of suicidal black metal mood and interpreted it from a totally different musical side, where sadness rules supreme. The sound production is pretty blurry for me, but perhaps the initial idea was to make it as slurred as possible. Well, despite the mainly soul tormenting atmospheres, there are some relaxed moments there as well, like for example the middle part in "Antagonist", which I found cool for meditation, it's just a pity it lasts too short, ha-ha… Well, enough said, if you're considering yourself a diehard doom metal fan, then you should have this terrific piece in your collection!!!

http://castrum.com.ua/encomium/6albums1.htm

A Thousand Sufferings is a Belgian-based Blackened Doom Metal act that has been around since 2013. In that time, they have released two Full-length releases and a single Split album – The newest of these was produced in 2018 and carries the title Bleakness.

Within its confines one will find an interesting blend of atmosphere and slow-paced rhythms and melodies (as one would expect from a Doom Metal album) occasionally, in certain aspects, given a more distorted twist, which adds up to an overall more aggressive feel without giving up the focus on ambience – This is done spread across six individual tracks (with one of them being an instrumental track) adding up to a grand total of nearly forty-one minutes.

All in all, Bleakness is a pretty decent album, offering very little new in terms of ambitions and approaches, but delivers a solid atmosphere that slowly builds though the first atmospheric track and keeps up the pace throughout the remainder of its runtime. The four musicians work together seamlessly to convey their expressions in a coherent whole through the digital medium, and the end result is quite immersive. I thoroughly enjoyed tracks such as ”Clouds” (which can be found below) and as such Bleakness will be going onto a shelf near me to be reacquired and replayed the next time I need some light immersion.

An interesting fact about an album such as this (for me at any rate) is the fact that it somehow ‘feels’ like a fairly short album due to its immersive nature – By no account would an album with a runtime of forty minutes be considered ‘short’ (since that still remains the average runtime for most Metal albums these days); But since it does a fine job of pulling you in and keeping in your seat it almost feels as if it passes by in the blink of an eye. And that is quite the feat in and of itself.

Recommended for fans of Ancient Obscurity (if nothing else, then due to their somewhat similar approach to their music).

https://www.metal-revolution.com/reviews/a-thousand-sufferings-bleakness

"Bleakness" é o segundo álbum do ótimo quarteto de Doom Metal da Bélgica e nele podemos ver uma ótima evolução sonora, mantendo suas características e também inserindo elementos esperados de sua vertente.

Suas mais variadas influências entram em suas canções como vibrações solitárias e o sofrimento da alma e da mente humanas.

Em 41 minutos divididos em suas 6 faixas, passam por momentos caóticos, angustiantes e densos, sombrio ao máximo e também técnico.

Sua produção ajuda no clima de extrema capacidade de percepção aos mais atentos no Doom Metal, bem como sua projeção em infinitos campos de melodias, transportando o ouvinte para um mundo próprio.

"A Thousand Soffferings" foi lançado em 2018 e precisa ser apreciado com cuidado, mas se você conhece o trabalho da banda ou está familiarizado com a proposta, não perca tempo e dê o Play!

http://rockvibrationsofficial.blogspot.com/2020/05/a-thousand-sufferings-bleakness-review.html

Second full length album from Belgian A Thousand Sufferings is a music without a pulse, dead like a corpse and vocalist does all he can to hate your day with his rude vocals, not because of lyrical content (I wouldn't care about it, unless it could interests me) but the way it sounds is a torture. If you, by accident, listen to the extreme metal for the first time, you most likely will hate it for the rest of your life for its terrible vocals this album has. And, I would personally prefer those songs without vocal tracks because it`s the area where sufferings turns into madness which sound awful, like from a person who is going to hang himself which is too bad to hear it.

Instrumentally, Bleakness is a claustrophobic combo of depressive sludge and black metal which music is played at medium tempos. Atmosphere is suicidal, humiliating, and hideous, and they kind of have an annoying gift that makes me dislike this album for its very bad karma that comes out of their miserably obscure music.

The only track I can stand is Ghostriders, for its horribly good, repetitive guitar leads.

I feel no chemistry to this record, whatsoever. So, it`s your choice, to decide, if you want to feel like shit once you heard the album - mainly because of its vocals that sound so disgusting and nerve-wrecking, or you just better stay away from it for piece of mind.

http://monarchmagazine.weebly.com/a-thousand-sufferings-bleakness-symbol-of-domination-prod.html