Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 03/20/2007
It was a sad day for
doom metal when
YOB broke up in 2005. But thankfully, that was the not the end of
YOB leader
Mike Scheidt's involvement with
doom metal. The guitarist/singer wasted no time assembling a new band:
Middian, whose debut album,
Age Eternal, isn't a big departure from
YOB's work. Like
YOB, this trio (which also includes bassist/singer
Will Lindsay and drummer
Scott Headrick) operates on the sludgy,
Black Sabbath-influenced side of
metal (as opposed to the more
gothic side of doom epitomized by
Paradise Lost and
Anathema), and
Middian is also a band that loves to stretch out.
Age Eternal only has five tracks, which may lead some to assume that it is an EP. But this 57-minute CD is no EP; some of those five tracks last 11, 14 or 15 minutes -- and that penchant for extended numbers is certainly very
YOB-ish. Despite being similar to
YOB,
Middian is not a carbon copy of
Scheidt's former band;
Middian offer more fast tempos, and their performances are somewhat heavier and have more of a psychedelic edge. Nonetheless,
Age Eternal will not come as a major shock to those who are familiar with
Scheidt's
YOB days. Like
YOB's albums, this 2006 recording is not for those with short attention spans; this is complex doom that has a lot of interesting twists and turns and never adheres to a standard verse/chorus/verse/chorus format. But those who were
YOB admirers will be happy to know that
Scheidt is still providing quality
doom metal.
~Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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