ALBUM REVIEW: Passion of Depression – Lamentations

Bands that fall under the umbrella term ‘eclectic’ run the risk of trying to be everything for everyone, only to end up being nothing for no one. That is a mistake that Singaporean-American quartet LAMENTATIONS have clearly avoided with their sophomore album Passion Of Depression – a whirlwind journey through the world of progressive death metal and beyond, packed with moments of melodic lightness and devastating heaviness.

The eclecticism of LAMENTATIONS is evident from the first chords of Prodigal, which transitions from an ecstatic melodic prog intro of guitar and keyboard heroics, into a vicious tech-death verse, before being elevated into an acoustic ballad with a beautiful triple vocal harmony. Anew mixes up ingredients from PAIN OF SALVATION, OBSCURA and CALIGULA’S HORSE, with the resulting dish a culinary masterpiece that bears their own imprint. Elsewhere, the titanic-sounding Shiver contains passages that marry up METALLICA at their thrashiest, OPETH at their mellowest, and THE CONTORTIONIST at their… well, most contorted. Altogether, it adds up to a grandiose composition which remains engaging throughout all ten of its minutes. 

Mixing duties for Passion Of Depression are left in the renowned hands of Jamie King (BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME), and the result is a delight. His mix sounds spacious and every instrument is razor sharp, which can be especially noticed in the snake-like conversations between the multi-layered guitars and keyboards, with the instruments never talking over each other. The puzzle is completed effectively by the hard-hitting drums of Christ Stropoli and the rapid jazz-fusion attack of bassist Jose Figueroa. The record is further adorned by a large variety of guest contributors lending their soloing chops, such as Jason Gobel (ex-CYNIC) and Ethan McKenna (BLACK CROWN INITIATE) – an exemplary case of many cooks cooking up a deliciously rich broth.

Some moments fall slightly off the mark – Sombre plods on less graciously than its other lengthy counterparts, while the in-your-face deathcore of Ire jars in contrast to the complex beauty which reigns over the rest of the album. Those rare missteps highlight the impressiveness of how cohesive the sound which LAMENTATIONS achieve the vast majority of the time is, despite the plethora of stylistic influences that they draw upon. The record culminates in the final opus Nurture – a resplendent epic that clocks in at nearly 15 minutes and neatly encompasses everything that makes LAMENTATIONS tick.

Described by the band as “a cinematic concept album that portrays the pain, pleasure, joy and sorrow that encompass one’s life journey”, Passion Of Depression certainly achieves this palette of emotions, and paints it with an equally broad palette of musical expressions. A clear labour of love, a clear vision and rich talent, LAMENTATIONS’s second album is a majestically confident statement in extreme progressive metal.

Rating: 8/10

Passion Of Depression is out now via Willowtip Records.

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