October Tide
Tunnel Of No Light

October Tide have been around for several years as the musical vehicle of Fredrik Norrman (ex-Katatonia guitarist) and his way of transforming thoughts to music and eventually emotions. After his departure a few years ago from the train of Katatonia, Norrmann oiled the machine and reformed the band releasing immediately “A Thin Shell” in year 2010. Now, three years later and after a few lineup changes, OT return with “Tunnel of No Light” their fourth full length. Let’s see what’s in there for us!!!

If we could simplify OT’s music it would be the following sentence: “Opeth meets early Katatonia meets My Dying Bride exclusively in mid tempos”… but it’s not that simple anyway…

Truth is that OT have a unique style of filtering their doom metal. Melodies, mourning guitars, down-tuned instruments and growling vocals by new member Alexander Hogbom in a quite complex multi-music layer. Lyric themes of the individual and a pessimist’s cup of tea, dressed in a funeralish music veil. Hanting most of the times but a lot different this time!

When OT came back to surface they sounded so fresh and those songs had seemingly a faster flowing rhythm and it seems that these even slower –in tempo- songs can’t do their work that great as did the songs of “A Thin Shell”. Adding the lack of refrain power melodies that miss their place in these songs. “Tunnel of No Light” sounds a bit more difficult to accept as a powerful release. The production, although, doesn’t sound that much changed compared to “A Thin Shell” which is quite obvious that we could say it is excellent once again offering the songs the air they need!

Concluding I’ll have to stick to the phrase that this album is a non easy listener’s choice, even if he is a lover of the genre. It’s a nice album for somebody to listen to not a great album to talk about though! In any case I liked it a lot, never gonna love it. ,ake your choice after indulging!!!