Pallbearer carries with it lots of accolades: 2014 Best New Music by Pitchfork Magazine, topped Decibel’s Album of the Year List, I Saw the End from the album Heartless debut at #187 out of #200 on the Billboard Top 200 and #42 on Billboard’s Top Current Albums, and ranked Stereogum’s 50 Best Albums of 2017, featured in NY Times in 2017 by Cultural Critic David Rees pointing out the band’s widening appeal, and they were also awarded 2017 Metal Hammer Golden God Award for Best Underground Band.
Lastly, they were named Best Band from Arkansas from their Best Bands From Every State ranking. So there.
Coming into this I am already expecting a lot. Let’s break it down. Forgotten Days is an 8-song album, with each song ranging from 3:40 to 7:60 minutes on the average.
So I was hoping to keep engaged throughout. It came out on October 23rd, 2020, and “plotted throughout 2019’” according to Pallbearer. Let’s check it out.
Forgotten Days is the self-entitled intro single on this album, which sounds kinda like being live at a Black Sabbath concert waiting for it to begin. Heavily guitar oriented, it has a definite Ozzy-influenced vocal range to it along with a dark atmosphere of instrumentals. Drums, bass, and guitars end this song fabulously.
There are reviews cutting bass and drums short on this album; however, I disagree. These two are doing what they need to do on this album, which is round it out. Sometimes, when baking it is the pinch of salt that saves the recipe.
Riverbed, again has strong drums/bass/guitar along with clear, concise vocals. Pallbearer adds just enough room to accommodate emotional lyrics into the mix.
This is where other bands fail, by not adding enough space. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Stasis is the real winner on this album, with an emotional pull so effective that is equivalent to quicksand. Bravo! The lyrics carefully placed onto the instruments were brilliant.
A perfect blend. Silver Wings relies heavily on guitars for the intro and then introduces the bass into the song definitively as it builds to its peak and then opens up to a drum/vocal partnership that ascends shiningly.
Other review criticisms state that the sound and length of the songs are monotonous and boring. I disagree. This album is one to sit back, drink a fine beer or glass of wine with, and enjoy.
Lastly, the last two songs on this album blend together harmoniously and leave the listener wanting more. Right of Passage and Caledonia are glorious.
The lengthiness of these songs didn’t seem to annoy me, in fact, it was necessary to tell the whole story, which some take longer than others. This is the sort of album that one would grab for a long road trip, a long hot bath, or a time when you want to drift away into another auditory dimension, or soundscape.
Altogether, nicely done. Some things take time, just like these songs. Joseph Rowland (bass/backing vocals), Brett Campbell (lead vocals/guitar), Devin Holt (guitar/backing vocals), Mark Lierly (drums), nice work.
Extremely balanced, great composition. Guitars have an overall grainy sound quality as if it was performed live rather than in studio. Definitely worth the price for admission.
ORDER ALBUM: CD, Vinyl, Cassette, Merch: https://pallbearerdoom.com/forgotten-… iTunes: https://nblast.de/PallbearerFDIT Amazon Music: https://nblast.de/PallbearerFDAZ Google Play: https://nblast.de/PallbearerFDGP LISTEN ON Spotify: https://nblast.de/PallbearerSpotifyComp Apple Music: https://nblast.de/PallbearerFDAM Deezer: https://nblast.de/PallbearerFDDZ
VISIT THE BAND Official Website: https://www.pallbearerdoom.com/
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Review by Jordonna Lobese for MPM
