Published: June 24, 2013

"Alpha" is the debut of a young band from Texas called Nethermost, which recently became part of the Canadian seal rooster Hypnotic Dirge. Its core consists of the couple and Cinthya Waldo Rocha on guitars, John Johnston on vocals, and drummer Edgar Pinto.

Their sound is the prototypical death-doom-nineties, where in front of a cavernous, guttural voice, the weight of the melody is supported solely by the guitar. So the omnipresent melodic riffs that leave not a moment's respite, remind Stage Katatonia "Brave Murder Day", October Tide and Paradise Lost.

Four topics that abound, the average time a melancholy atmosphere flooded with reverb and lyrics about nature and other topics related to death.

Production work is pretty solid and get a result compact and neat, but the rhythmic contribution is somewhat opaque, giving prominence to lead guitar, vocals and bass. Although express an interest to highlight the melody, would have been interesting to provide a little more force and strength to the base.

They appreciate some interesting changes in the environment through the application of filters and dynamic rhythm variations performed well on tracks like "Phasing Currents", the highlight of the album, with the simplicity of the melody provides the necessary renewal   so that the issue does not fall in absolute monotony. Something that you consider using the same tone, effects and EQ guitar, powerful vocal but very similar and that the battery is not able to pass the most basic patterns with just a roll, make the issues are fairly linear and from "Tower of the Winds" from falling into repetition.

Songs that its sad atmosphere and great melodic sense provide a pleasant listening to melodic doom fans but of little interest to the rest.