Finland’s very own Red Moon Architect has just recently released their sixth studio album via Noble Demon Records, entitled October Decay. Hailing from the south-eastern part of the country in Kouvola, Red Moon Architect initially started as a one-man project by drummer Saku Moilanen, and has gone through several lineup changes throughout the years, with their current lineup consisting of Ville Rutanen operating on harsh vocals and Anni Viljanen on clean vocals.
This Nordic country where Svart Records rosters and most Folk Metal hail come from always has some celestial magif work to do with making sonic experiments sound ethereal and atmospheric– and of course, it applies to Red Moon Architect too on the album October Decay. Although mostly aligned towards Melodic Doom Metal, they also combine old-school Heavy Metal riffs –precisely, a slow NWOBHM-style opener on “Frozen Tomb” – into their usual slow-paced Doom Metal elements. And although this album only consists of six tracks, just like most Doom Metal acts, these six tracks are long and appear to be metallic dirges with dark, symphonic undertones.
Since Red Moon Architect is a unit that presents contrasts between harsh and clean vocals, there are obviously strong collisions between Ville Rutanen’s guttural growls and Anni Viljanen’s ethereal, incantation-like soft vocals. The vocals tend to reflect the contrasting harsh-versus-angelic Doom Metal trope, helping build a nuance that is centered around dramatic tension and infinite emotional depth. They also managed to envisage bleak and introspective atmospheres that mirror the idea of despair and personal isolation, which is to be expected, considering that their consistent lyrical branding revolves around despair, melancholy, death, and romanticizing memories.
The compositions featured on this album are all-around dense and precise, but also emotionally charged to an extent where there are no superfluous elements involved. The sounds are meticulously crafted; leaving cosmic footprints and long-lasting, genuine impressions. It is always refreshing to come across Metal subgenres that manage to combine stark contrasts between softness and aggression, in this case, the vocals.
Overall, Red Moon Architect offers the finest form of a rewarding listening experience— not only for Doom Metal enthusiasts, but also for large expanses of audiences surrounding.
Buy the album here:
https://redmoonarchitect.bandcamp.com/album/october-decay
9 / 10
RALKA SKJERSETH
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