Godsend's third release is a somewhat perplexing album in terms of stylistic cohesion. And yet it eventually appears to be a solid piece of atmospheric doom metal. However, if I had only listened to the first 3 or 4 songs of the album to get an idea of what it sounds like, I would certainly have missed something interesting, as I would not have listened to this album again. To provide some context, I did not know much about Godsend, but I knew they were categorized as "doom metal." When I first heard one of their promotional songs in 1997, it sounded like promising colorful atmospheric doom metal. So, when I purchased the album, I expected to hear atmospheric doom metal songs. Well, I was both wrong and right at the same time. Understand my surprise: the first three songs of this so-called "atmospheric doom metal" album actually sound like average mid-tempo grungy/stoner songs! The first listening was quite perplexing. I had paid for doom metal, not for something else, and what I had were average mid-tempo, lackluster, soporific songs. To understand the situation, one must regard the album as structured in three different sections: 1. Some opening mid-tempo grungy/stoner songs, 2. The "Wayfarer's Tears" atmospheric suite, and 3. Some classic doom metal songs in the end.
In the first section, the opening songs "Delusions of Grandure," "Sermon," and "Galactic Galleon" with their mid-tempo stoner rock/grungy dirty sound appear quite hazy and bland. They are not particularly badly done, per se. They just lack any interesting hooks, so they appear insipid and boring. I still wonder what they were thinking when choosing to put average songs as openers. However, things start to become more interesting with the fourth song "Eidolon" and its slow dark atmosphere. With this song, we're finally entering the atmospheric doom world. Alas, the second part of the song turns back to the initial sound of the album again. But here, things become more acceptable than the previous three songs. This song appears like the perfect bridge to switch from the mood of the first stoner songs to the next atmospheric-oriented section to come.
With the second section, we fully enter into the most sublime part of this album, spanning from track 5 to 9: the 'Wayfarer's Tears' suite. Its special atmospheres, introspective and meditative mood, and acoustic colors are exactly what I was expecting when I purchased this CD. The demitone atmosphere is what makes the music special and interesting. Notably, the use of repetitive melodic leitmotifs in several parts of this suite reinforces the coherence and autonomy, giving it the feeling of a standalone work within the album.
The final section features more traditional doom metal songs, such as "Starfall," "Slaydream," and "Silence of Time." I heard that these songs were actually left-over material from older material. While decent, they differ from the earlier atmospheric suite, leaning toward a darker and rawer sound. Stylistically speaking, although different, Godsend's music presents a type of doom that occasionally draws comparisons to certain elements found in Paradise Lost's and Type O Negative's material. Now when it comes to rating this album, the issue is tricky: The second part alone would merit a perfect score of 95/100, while the latter two sections would easily receive 90/100. Considering the entire album, however, I would rate it an 85/100 due to the underwhelming start. Nonetheless, for enthusiasts of atmospheric doom metal, it remains a worthwhile listen. As for the first 3 songs, consider them mere fillers to be skipped, leading directly to the compelling highlights that begin at track 4.
Sample:
youtube.com/watch?v=nyWI06j9VKs&list=RDnyWI06j9VKs&start_radio=1&t=515s
