A wise man once said, “Good things come to those who wait.” Unfortunately, the length of said wait was not specified. In the time I’ve been waiting for Olórin’s debut full length, Through Shadow and Flame, I could’ve watched The Lord of the Rings trilogy twice, or something like that, because those movies go on for-freaking-ever. Lucky for me, Olórin have finally delivered and condensed the Tolkien tome to 45 minutes of slow, epic doom. You know this release is a special occasion because I cover doom metal about as much as I cover post-first wave black metal (for those new to the site, that’s hardly ever).
While Olórin is the brainchild of one Mr. Michael Schmidt, the band also features two members of epic metal horde Smoulder, Collin Wolf on guitars and Kevin Hester on drums. I spoke with Collin earlier this year about the differences between the two bands. Whereas Smoulder is more an epic heavy/power metal band with doom metal undertones, Olórin is pure, unrelenting doom. This is made evident from Through Shadow and Flame‘s opening track, “Black Chasm”. The incorporation of ominous synths and tribal rhythms give an epic feel reminiscent of 90s Bathory or Wolf’s other project, Fer de Lance, but the riffs are doom of the highest order. Towards the end, the song kicks up to a traditional mid-tempo romp à la Pentagram, but not before slowing it back down.
Throughout the course of Through Shadow and Flame, there are moments that recall various legends of doom metal past, but never do they feel like blatant rip-offs. For example, “Descenstion” has an ultra nasty Wino era Saint Vitus grit to both the riffs and vocals. “Ringwe” is the obligatory slab of Sabbath worship, where Ozzy era doom collides with Dio era power. Yet neither of these songs feel like an aping of Vitus or Sabbath. They stand on their own as all original monoliths of doom.
As we go through the second half of the album, Olórin showcases their musical dynamism. “The Endless Stair” is an atmospheric spin on traditional doom with slow, meaty riffs. All I can say about this track is sit back, relax, and enjoy the trip. My choice cut, “Durin’s Tower”, reminds us that Olórin can bring the mid-paced doom when they want to. For a doom metal song, it’s extra catchy and hooky, with 80s inspired melodies. “Mornië” serves as a synth laden prelude to the album’s grand finale, “The White Rider”. Those epic Bathory-isms make a return appearance to ride us on out of Middle-earth (pun intended).
So is Through Shadow and Flame worth its seemingly decade long wait? I’d say so. It’s doomy enough for your typical doom metal fanatics, but also has enough other elements going for it to appeal to traditional old schoolers such as myself. It’s one of those rare doom metal albums with a crossover appeal, without attempting to crossover to other audiences. I applaud Olórin and wish them glory on their ongoing quest for doom supremacy.
8 out of 10
Label: Rafchild Records
Genre: Doom Metal
For fans of: Smoulder, Pentagram, 90s Bathory