Soliloquium - The Concept of Escape DEMO (2013)

The second recording under the Soliloquium monicker, The Concept of Escape seeks a mild expansion of the melodic, saddened hues of its predecessor, the When Silence Grows Venomous. It's successful in doing so, thanks largely to the dichotomy of three vocal styles and a tidal balance of driving melodic rhythm guitars and somber segues through which other emotions can breathe; but that's not to say that it's really a vast improvement over their earlier songs, nor is it highly unique when compared to the legacies of its influences, bands like October Tide and Katatonia who have certainly laid out the groundwork for what Jonas Bergkvist and Stefan Nordström. Still, there's a humble authenticity to the material which makes for a pleasant listen, and if you're the sort to stare in awe at the gathering dusk, or freeze frames of falling leaves within your minds' eye, then I do not doubt you can connect to this demo on an emotional level.

This is not the music of brazen complexity, and the duo aren't just over-tracking and over-layering dozens of guitars. They set pace with a simple, rambling clean guitar line like that of "Remnant of Dying Dreams" (which languishes somewhere between Katatonia and Lake of Tears), and then plug in the rumbling distortion of the bass and develop into a fell, glorious sequence of simple chords that support the deeper growls, which are reminiscent of Jonas Renkse from the October Tide debut, albeit a bit dryer and wispier. Few if any riffs linger on beyond their welcome, and they adventure mildly into a few choice squeals and mournful melodies. However, they also implement a placid, clean vocal (in "Crossroads") and some higher pitched snarls that help to offset the monotony inherent in just a straight growl; without coming off as if they're meandering or wimpy or imbalanced. The drums are nice, laid back grooves with choice fills, but capable of picking up the momentum necessary for one of those mid-paced, defining chord progressions that serve as paeans to the Swedes' native influences. The melodic phrases come to a climax near the end of the nearly 10 minute finale "Nighttime Revelations", where they pop out over the more subdued rhythm guitar and come off like an inevitable release of tears.

All told, the 25 minutes of content are quite consistent with one another, and with the prior demo, only I did feel as if the arching melodies had a broader effect. Do they push their boundaries enough? Not really, and in some sense Soliloquium faces an uphill battle in that many of their note and chord choices seem inevitable and at worst, predictable. The songs are catchy enough while you're swept up in them, but just not extremely memorable later on. I didn't find myself pining over their absence, though this is the very MUSIC of pining and longing. As a demo, it's fluid and functional and the duo are apt at capturing the surface levels of sadness and regret so essential to their craft; but it rarely delves much deeper, and so even though the net widens, it is still only pulling in the same melancholic catch. It 'escapes', but not for very long. Further experimentation in chord structure, dissonance and rhythm/temp will only strengthen these Swedes' cause, but The Concept of Escape is not really problematic beyond the fact that it's flowing over previously dredged terrain. Another decent demo, but if they get around to recording a full-length, more variation could be crucial.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Soliloquium/236215949804095

Soliloquium - When Silence Grows Venomous DEMO (2012)

Soliloquium (try saying that with your mouth full) is the latest project of two gentlemen who hail from a pair of other underground Swedish acts I've covered: Desolator and Ending Quest, both of which are cast in a more decidedly death metal mold. When Silence Grows Venomous is their first stab at an atmospheric death/doom aesthetic, and the duo has been offering it for free over at their Bandcamp. Judging by what I've heard in these two tracks, I'd have to say the demo is worth checking out, for while it doesn't exactly bring anything new to the table, it exhibits a strong knowledge of the niche's fundamentals, and a firm awareness of the suffering with which it seeks to burden its audience.

Clearly you've got the trace elements of early Anathema or My Dying Bride here, circa the spacious and mourning guitar drudge and broad, guttural vocal inflection, and the lack of apprehension at incorporating cleaner sequences with both the guitar and vocal. Yet, there's also this constant surge of melody being expanded above the simpler chord set, which reminded me of fellow Swedish monoliths October Tide and Isole, and really helping to keep the listener invested in what might otherwise prove a slog. Both of the two tracks clock in at 7-8 minutes, with neither becoming boring whatsoever. There isn't a lot to the lethargic drums here apart from the occasional fill or double bass, but the guitars are so omnipresent that I felt like I didn't need much more than that, and I must compliment the vocals, which definitely take a broader spin on the Dan Swano style. The cleaner timbre used for the end of "Garden of Truculence" isn't exactly distinct, nor evocative of much range, but then, the solemn and slightly monotonous pitch is suitable to the gloom of the guitars.

They'll also pick up the pace from time to time, with bolder, rock-out rhythms redolent of Tiamat, Lake of Tears or Cemetery, and when the growl erupts over a sequence like this, the band takes you away to that obscure paradise available only in Swedish doom. Rhythm guitar riffs are hardly inventive or unique, but to a long time fan of records like Clouds, Black Vanity, Headstones or Rain Without End, this familiarity won't prove much of an obstacle. The bass-lines don't exactly thrill me, they seem content to meander along with the guitar for the most part, but the tone is affluent and adds a little depth. In terms of production, I do feel like the drums could benefit from a boost to their volume, and I would say the same for the melodies, but otherwise this is clear and present for a free demo recording, and with a little more time and energy the rest could easily be fixed. Ultimately, When Silence Grows Venomous is one of the stronger works I've heard from these two, and it delivers exactly what it promises, a slew of saddening dynamics that shall wrench despair from the Autumn air.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Soliloquium/236215949804095