REVIEWS OF "DE GLEMTE TIDER"

Metal-Observer.com - Link

If I was better with rhetoric, I would write this review in a slow cadence with unstressed syllables in an attempt to convey the melancholy and slowness of this album. But, I’m not good enough and I’m sure it wouldn’t come across well in the German translation.

I was not looking forward to listening to this album when I first saw the band’s name. SKUMRING (Norwegian for “Twilight,” much better than it sounds in English!) was formed in 2004, recorded a demo the same year that landed them a deal with Aftermath Music, and unleashed this immense slab of Doom on the world in 2005. Try to not be crushed by its awesome might and weight! Try to not be drawn in by its majestic sorrow! Try and fail!

But there is beauty in despair, and I don’t mean just because there’s an angelic female vocalist (Cecilie Langley, also of the Norwegian APHELION), but also because of the incredible melodies lead-guitarist Vàli is able to conjure from his instrument. As rhythm-guitarist Ole slowly cuts down his wrist with massive riffs, Vàli longingly strums an acoustic guitar or coaxes a beautiful harmony that lets us know that no, it won’t be alright. It’s this melody that really vaults SKUMRING toward the zenith of Doom. Knut Kirkevold (no longer with the band) somehow manages to keep time on the drums against overwhelming odds.

There are moments of experimentation—they actually pick up the tempo about a third of the way through the track "De Glemte Tider“ ("The Forgotten Times,“ I think), even getting a double bass roll, but that doesn’t last long, especially when you realize that’s out of a nearly 19 minute run time. The songs are long—"Søvn“ is the shortest at 12:35, though it’s also my pick for the best. Not that the other two are bad.

This is the best Doom record I’ve heard in a long time and one of the few bands besides AGALLOCH that makes me think there’d be something cathartic in dying in a blizzard. No, they aren’t sound alikes by any means, but that’s the sort of atmosphere you’ll get. There’s hope even in this crushing sorrow.

For fans of THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL, THE MIST AND THE MORNING DEW (Cecilie sounds a lot like Veera Muhli to my ears) and maybe VIRGIN BLACK, if you like their more stripped down parts. Good luck getting a copy, as the initial run in October was limited to 1000. (Online March 29, 2006)

Obskure.com - Link

Il est arrivé à ce disque ce qui arrive à bien peu. Parvenu sur les bureaux d’un label respectable, ce qui n’était au départ qu’une démo trois titres de quarante cinq minutes [chroniquée en ces lieux] a vite attiré l’attention des responsables d’Aftermath Records, au point que ces derniers décident de signer la formation norvégienne Skumring et de sortir en tant que premier opus officiel les bandes desdites démos afin de présenter au public les desseins d’une formation exigeante et inspirée. Outre un design amélioré, l’histoire valait bien un retour sur expérience.

Le Doom de Skumring, formation née il y a à peine deux ans à l’initiative de la jeune Cecilie (voix d’ange habitée et trahissant une éducation musicale d’obédience classique ; membre d’Aphelion) et de Vàli (guitares lead et acoustiques, dont la présence aère véritablement l’enregistrement), développe sur ce premier enregistrement un Metal lent et émotionnel, empreint des canons du Funeral Doom. Mais il garde le souci premier de conserver une touche plus romantique encore que lourde. Par instant, une synergie cyclothymique génère des mouvements musicaux accélérés par une fièvre plus sanguine (le titre éponyme), mais une pesanteur assez funèbre reste bel et bien à l’ordre du jour.

La production n’est franchement pas ridicule et si le mix des guitares rythmiques épurées d’Ole manque un tout petit peu de profondeur, l’ensemble parvient à dégager une magie véritable, quelque chose qui traverse chacune de ces minutes de dépression, assises autour des basses discrètes de KK (membre de Deject) et des frappes rythmiques et économes de Knut (qui a décidé de quitter la formation juste après l’enregistrement de la présente démo, pour cause de déménagement).

Au final, le songwriting reste bien construit sur une exergue mélodique, des corps de saturations et de voix qui pourraient bien marquer leur temps dans le mouvement Doom, pour peu qu’elles poursuivent leur quête. Leur sens du religieux, sans déborder sur un propos caricatural, donne une attraction à ces minutes pesantes et qui vous happent, et vous projettent vers d’autres espaces.

"De Glemte Tider" est un ensemble classique, bien joué et duquel se dégage une émotion forte. Ce qui n’est pas rien pour un lacement officiel des hostilités. Il nous tarde de voir ce que la suite offrira au monde.

8/10 points (fibo)

Vampire-Magazine.com - Link

If you're into 3rd & the Mortal and especially their debut mini-album "Sorrow" and their first full-length album "Tears laid in earth" than stop reading here and go out and buy yourself this brilliant mini-album from newborn stars Skumring as soon as possible!

For those who want to know just a bit more about this mini-album I'll continue my story. Skumring is a young band which was founded in the summer of 2004. In december that same year Skumring released their first demo in a limited edition of only 100 copies. Because of this demo Aftermath Music got interested and offered the band a deal with as result the demo being remixed and enhanced in the shape of the "De glemte tider" mini-album. Skumrings music is a combination of doom metal and melancholic and epic music with female vocals. This mini-album features only three tracks but the total duration is almost 45 minutes so the songs are therefore really long. All three songs are played really slow with emotional and heavy riffs which bring forth quite a melancholic and somtimes even depressing atmosphere. The female vocals, performed by Cecilie, are enchanting and beautiful but at the same time also extremely melancholic and she has really an astonishing voice. It really gives me goosebumps allover. Music-wise a comparison which comes to my mind would be 3rd & the Mortal during their "Sorrow" and "Tears laid in earth" era though Skumring still has their own distinctive individual touch. Even though all three songs are really long and are all played really slow the music still doesn't become boring at all and the band definitely managed to keep this mini-album interesting the whole duration.

With "De glemte tider" Skumring managed to come up with an extremely satisfying debut mini-album. Having in mind the band started only about 18 months ago "De glemte tider" makes clear we're dealing with an extremely talented band here and this mini-album is for sure a must for those into doom metal and emotional, depressive and melancholic music. But interested ones should be quick as this mini-album is limited to only 1000 copies. For more information about Skumring go and visit www.skumring.no.

Metalcrypt.com - Link

Another dead-on hit for Aftermath Music. This is about the best label there is for Doom metal, and this disc is no exception. Skumring (I'm sure that means something cool in Norwegian) released this as their demo, but it was so good Aftermath remastered and repackaged it for release as a proper album.

This is awesome melodic Funeral Doom in the vein of Pantheist or Fallen, with some crushingly heavy riffs and a ton of atmosphere. I close my eyes with this on and I am instantly transported to some far and ruined vista, watching ancient towers crash to earth in the burning fires of the sunset. Moody and beautiful, with haunting melodies you will not forget, this music suffuses you. The one new thing Skumring offer are the beautiful, soulful vocals of Cecile. This is one of those why-didn't-I-think-of-that moments, as the addition of her mournful, operatic vocals just takes this whole thing to another level. Female operatic vocals in a Funeral Doom band. It's so obvious it's innovative.

I just can't get away from this release. Doom can be hard to describe, because it's less about gimmicks or cool riffs and choruses than about how the music makes you feel. Funeral Doom is even more so: the good stuff just carries you away to another place. It may not be the happiest place on earth, but it affects you. Well-done Funeral Doom leaves a mark on you, and makes mourning into a kind of exaltation. If you like sorrowful, brooding music, then this is an album to get any way you can. Marvelous.

Metal-Norge.com - Link

Ikke lenge etter at Skumring slapp sin selvtittelerte demo, plukket norske Aftermath Music dem opp, og nå er altså demoen tilgjengelig på nytt med skikkelig coverart og litt oppusset lyd. Det er faktisk lagt mye hardt arbeid ned i få denne demoen ut på nytt – og det er definivt verdt det, for musikken er helt fantastisk.

Jeg var rimelig begeistret for musikken da den kom i utgangspunktet også, og det hele sitter fortsatt veldig godt. Treg doom i funeral-tempo med mye akkustiske elemeter og kvinnevokal. Dette er rett og slett den typen musikk jeg lever og ånder for, og Skumring gjør det helt upåklagelig. Tenk deg nyere Empyrium i doom-variant. Drømmende, langstrakte låtlandskap skisserer doom-låter med skremmende høy internasjonal standard. Det som var et av fjorårets beste demoer er nå et av årets beste EP-er. Ingen tvil om det.

For mer inngående info refferer jeg til min omtale av demoen.

Blooddawn.de - Link

Es gibt Musik, die ohne Umwege direkt deine Seele berührt. Musik, die dir den Atem nimmt, dich mit Tränen, die dir in die Augen steigen, schlucken lassen. Diese norwegische Formation ist eine dieser wenigen Ausnahmebands, welche die Fähigkeit besitzen, solche eruptiv aufkommenden Emotionen im Hörer auszulösen. Atmosphärischer, hochmelodischer, verträumter Doom mit endlos langen, oftmals zweistimmigen Stromgitarrenleads, mahlenden Riffs, dynamischer Schlagzeugarbeit, wunderbaren, ineinander greifenden Akustikgitarren und einem außergewöhnlichen Bass. Und das in Form von drei überlangen, organisch produzierten Songs, die es zusammen auf eine Gesamtspielzeit von einer dreiviertel Stunde bringen.

Die fast durchgehend langsamen Stücke leben neben den Gänsehautmelodien und einer unglaublichen Spannung vor allem von der wunderschönen Stimme von Frontdame Cecilie, die mit ihrem eigenständigen Organ, das manchmal an eine leise BJÖRK, aber viel mehr an Lisa Gerard oder Kari Rueslatten (THE THIRD AND THE MORTAL) erinnert, das Herz des Hörers erstrahlen lässt und es mit Wärme erfüllt. Der Genuss dieses Werkes ist genau so einzigartig wie das Gefühl, in den Armen des Menschen zu liegen, den man liebt, und zu wissen: "Hier bin ich geborgen, hier geht es mir gut...". Mir ist heiß und kalt zugleich...