### Orthodox: Amanecer en puerta oscura

#### 15/10/12 || jaimeviejo

Music and religion have been linked together since the beginning of time as a vehicle to reach beyond, to go further with our minds and to transcend the material world. Doom’s main duty is to take the listener on a trip somewhere far away by simply using slow repetitive riffs to crush our skull. That’s the basic idea right?

Orthodox in this second album sucks directly from the breasts of Sunn O)) , Sergio Leone, Sleep, Earth, Free Jazz, Doom and are inspired by the music played during the “Semana Santa” (Spanish Holy Week that takes place before Easter), Andalusian heritage and Spanish Catholic imagery. Also the album could be named as silly as it can sound, like Drone Jazz Doom and comparable only to The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation ( aka: The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble) or the amazing Bohren & Der Club of Gore.

The feeling of the whole album is of absolute improvisation, so the production couldn’t be closer to reality, as it sounds absolutely organic and human. The cover art was made by Seldon Hunt and is similar to the one used by Earth in their also 2007 ep “Hibernaculum”. This is interesting because the two releases have quite a few things in common, but the most important is the feeling of transcendence and enlightenment that both albums have. One of the best features of the album is the use of acoustic bass in some of the songs. The double bass work in those songs is superb, and it adds another dimension to the music and a more classic sound to the recording.

The album has three songs that can be considered metal, “Mesto Rigido e Ceremoniale”, “Parte II Apogeum” and “Solemne Triduo”. The first two songs can be taken as one, as they are based on the same riff; “Mesto” is the first part, and it features some marching-band-inspired snare drum fill around the minute seven of the song that reminds of the ones used during the Holy Week celebrations in Spain by the assembles. “Parte II” is the more aggressive part of the two and has an absolutely amazing final ending where for three minutes the band mixes 70’s Keith Moon inspired fills with and amazing flamenco influenced solo.

“Solemne Triduo” is a more straight forward song, but that it sounds like a beefed up version of blue cheer with the occasional typical bong-boiling doom vocals. “Amanecer” is a Morricone tribute instrumental track that features wind sounds and the Marranzanu or mouth arp commonly used in the Ennio Morricone movies. “Puerta Osario” is just a creepy piano piece of two minutes

“Templos” is a cinematic fifteen-minute instrumental that again brings to mind the master Ennio Morricone. Here the band mixes the acoustic bass, percussion, wind instruments, guitar and a gong to create the demonic soundtrack of a fictional pagan western.

“Con Sangre De Quien Te Ofenda” is the absolute highlight of the album, almost nine minutes of beautifully played and arranged music where the band mixes all their influences: 70’s rock drums on top of a free jazz structure with clarinet and the double bass leading the song.

This album is as holy as the bible, an album that is the soundtrack of desolated summer evenings, redemption, and holy religious marches. An album that transcends the genres and operates on a different level from all the other releases of the genre.

- Information
- Released: 2007
- Label: Alone Records
- Website: Orthodox MySpace.
- Band
- Marco Serrato Gallardo: bass,vocals
- Ricardo Jimenez Gómez: guitars
- Borja Diaz Vera: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Con Sangre de Quien Te Ofenda
- 02. Mesto, Rigido e Ceremoniale
- 03. Solemne Triduo
- 04. Amanecer en Puerta Oscura
- 05. Puerta Osario
- 06. Templos
- 07. Parte II. Apogeum