Dreaming – II

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Germany’s Dreaming have seen only sporadic activity in the 15 years since they formed. Releasing just two albums in that time and making selected live appearances either as support or on festival bills like Doom Shall Rise. Taking cues from the likes of Saint Vitus, their sound is unashamedly traditional, epic doom with clean vocals not unlike Albert Witchfinder’s and excellent, measured guitar work which should appeal to fans of Solitude Aeturnus, Candlemass and Reverend Bizarre. Healthy amounts of authentic fuzz flood the thick guitar tone and bass and the band achieves that balance between slow, ominous doom and the faster pace of Cathedral, Candlemass and of course Black Sabbath; breaking no moulds, but doing everything right for a classic doom record. Just under 50 minutes the first seven tracks are between three and seven each and in a similar way to the genre leaders they move effortlessly between different riffs, with catchy choruses in between; every song is an Into The Void, a Well of Souls or an Solitude. The last track, Birth Meets Defeat, is the obligatory epic at twelve-and-a-half minutes, over half of which is sweeping instrumental doom shifting between the traditional and the Planet Caravan. II is simply a flawless piece of doom from start to finish.

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Doom Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Dreaming