ALBUM REVIEW
DISCOURAGED - A Farewell In Stages
Dark, melodic and cohesive Death Doom debut.
It is possible to hear "A Farewell In Stages" as eight disconnected Death Doom tracks on first listen; DISCOURAGED does little to help the listener see otherwise. Most of the riffs are heavy, the tempos are predominantly slow, and the density created by the guitars remains remarkably consistent throughout the album. But once a little more attention is paid to the track sequence, it becomes clear that this apparent stasis is actually one of the album's most deliberate aspects. The fact that 'Insomnia' and 'Farewell', previously released as demo tracks, are placed at opposite ends of the album means the record needs to be considered as a whole rather than simply as what lies between its two ends. Much like the album's cover, where looking at the Gustave Doré detail alone is not enough to fully understand the record.
The starting point of this cycle is particularly striking. 'Insomnia' waits for roughly forty seconds with clean guitars before the weight sets in, while 'Farewell' places a similar sense of transparency at the other end of the album, completing the structure in reverse. Everything in between builds its weight primarily through mid-tempo and slower passages. Thick riffs, deep growls and melodic guitars clearly show that DISCOURAGED draws from the early ANATHEMA, PARADISE LOST and KATATONIA tradition, but the band never turns these references into outright imitation. Occasional double-kick passages that edge toward Death Metal, more active riff variations and, particularly, the Swedish Death Metal influence on 'All Things Will Die' provide small but functional departures from the classic Doom Doom framework.
The production is also a significant part of the album's atmosphere. A spacious, reverb-heavy mix with a strong low-frequency presence turns the guitars and bass into almost a single mass, particularly during the heaviest sections. As a result, individual notes recede somewhat in certain passages, but the choice fits the music's suffocating character. Burying the deep vocals in reverb makes them feel as though they are emerging from within the instrumentation rather than sitting on top of the mix. The whispered and spoken passages in 'Waves (Dark Is The Sea)' and 'All Hope Is Gone' make particularly effective use of this shift in proximity, achieving more through a change in vocal presence than another riff could have.
The album's most pronounced break comes with 'Traces'. More prominent synths, hard limiting and clearly defined double-kick attacks bring the track closer to a modern production aesthetic. The approach works on its own terms, but it stands out more because it disrupts the sense of physical space established throughout the rest of the album. By contrast, 'Emptiness (Haunted House)' demonstrates how far the band can stretch the genre's basic tools through its dynamic drumming and use of natural harmonics.
Despite "A Farewell In Stages" being only DISCOURAGED's debut album, what matters most is that the band does not build its songs around riff weight alone while working with the established components of Death Doom. The influences are audible, but particularly in the second half, the way the tracks connect and the way the atmosphere is shaped together with the production create a foundation from which the band could develop a more distinct identity in the future. For now, this is a promising beginning from a band that understands the traditions of the genre and works within them without unnecessary showmanship, while retaining a strong melodic memory.
https://discourageddoom.bandcamp.com/