Review by Tomek on March 14, 2007.

In the past, when I wanted to experience some good-quality doom metal, Novembers Doom used to be one of my top bands to pick from. Now, with their newest "The Novella Reservoir", they have become my favorite. After releasing 6 albums, they still come up with many new ideas, and even though they no longer play the typical doom metal they used to, you can definitely tell that they are pushing themselves forward, earning more respect and appreciation.

From the first riff on this new masterpiece, you can tell that doom is still the backbone of their music, but with many newly acquired traits. The shockingly wide range of Paul Kuhr's vocals, varying from guttural growling thru clean singing, into crooning, is, as always, amazing. Through his ever-changing performance, intelligent lyrics and evident feeling behind them he achieves an awesome atmosphere. Guitarists, Larry Roberts and Vito Marchese, are pushing themselves to the extreme in this newfound mix of doom and death metal - immediately going from fast and aggressive brutal rumble into slow and depressing melodic parts entwined with stunning solos. Joe Nunez is doing a fantastic job moving from classic doom metal drumming to fast, pummeling death metal beats, and with new and very interesting rhythms, he's bringing his craftsmanship to a new level.

Production and mixing were done by Dan Swano and James Murphy, so right there, you can expect strong and powerful sound with all instruments very clear, in perfect harmony, and with the vocals so audible, that you can hear the faintest whisper.
All in all, Paul and the rest created an intriguing musical mixture where melancholy and depression meets aggression and power. 2007 is still young but I have a feeling that we will see Novembers Doom "The Novella Reservoir" on many charts by the end of the year.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9 out of 10