Ahab – The Giant (2012)

The nautical Funeral Doom Metalheads are back with another deep sea exploration titled “The Giant”. Ahab and their self-branded ‘nautik’ Funeral Doom Metal have released two previous releases and with this latest one they seem to be achieving total domination of the oceans when it comes to Doom Metal. With six soul crushing tracks clocking around 60 minutes, this is one hell of a ride through the seas with tuned down guitars and very moody sections, just like the doctor ordered.

Opening with a jazzy and very well paced intro, “Further South” nicely sets the mood for a very mellow release. There is no need for real ‘traditional’ Doom riffs until the second half of this eight minute track begins, and we totally love it. The clean vocals are outstanding and they nicely contrast the deep growls. The monolithic “Aeons Elapse” nicely builds up with heavy riffs and very well crafted drums. This track is one of those rollercoaster rides with plenty of chug-and-go sections. The clean vocals again provide a very regal sound to the band’s music.

“Antarctica: The Polymorphess” features a different edge that the previous songs have been slowly introducing, the band has been feeding in some cleaner Post-Metal/Rock elements here and there making their sound more dynamic and complex. While the crushing Doom riffs are the most dominant feature of the track, some slowdown sections feel more Post-Metal than traditional Doom we must say. This track also has some guest vocals of Herbrand Larsen of Enslaved. Our favorite track is the more traditional (and heavy!) “Fathoms Deep Blue” a very moody piece with lush arrangements and a very straight forward depressive Doom vibe.

The closer “The Giant” makes the album come full-cycle and pretty much delivers a hefty dosage of powerful riffs, a pummeling bass guitar line, and a very effective atmosphere. We are suckers for slower paced sections and this track has a nice amount of them, breaking the flow of the track in a masterful way.

In general, “The Giant” is quite a solid release that moves a bit away from the traditional droning (and boring) Funeral Doom Metal. The band does an excellent job in crafting brilliant atmospheric passages that hypnotize the listener just before a powerful riff rips things wide open. Ahab is a very talented band and with each release they have managed to impress us.

Release: June 5th, 2012

Country: Germany