Published: April 18, 2016

Russian Negative Voice is a band in the crossfire from many neighbouring genres.

Imagine a busy intersection where flickering headlights fly by while sun and moon chases each other rapidly across the screen in a time-lapse video.

In a small enclosure in the middle of this crossing, however, time passes slowly. There, Negative Voice performs their progressive form of dark doom. 

With elements, partly of a technical nature, partly in mood, from death/doom and post-metal, with hints of black in the vocals, the Russians blends their doomy pot-pourri, seasoned with progressive vibes. 

I mentioned the possibility of music best suited after dark when discussing Nazghor a few days ago. Cold Redrafted is for me definitely an album that works best in the wee hours, when the world lowers its pulse. I can also vividly imagine early birds who quietly turn the pages of their newspaper over a steaming fresh cup of coffee or tea next to the kitchen window as daylight gradually rise on the horizon at dawn. This is quiet music with a resting heart rate. 

Purely subjective, I'm not necessarily particularly excited about calm and soaring music without heaviness and punch, but Negative Voice still stands out in a positive way among others sleepwalkers by bidding on nice melodies and good variation via smooth transitions. Lulling bass and dreamy guitars meets contrasting vocals and adequate percussion than can occasionally be quite vital. 

My suppressed unbiased tastebuds, and the midnight owl in me endorses Cold Redrafted. Especially when both inner and outer night mode is activated.

My bright awake, adrenalin seeking and navel-gazing side, on the other hand, sneeze somewhat at this fairly ambulant, melancholic, rather “puny and jazzy post-doom” metal.

If you have a taste for serene and relaxing, almost frail music of this kind, I doubt you'll regret setting aside roughly 46 minutes to hear the album underneath before you decide whether to buy it or not.