Mare Infinitum - Cryosleep (CD)

Review
Wonderbox Metal

This is the third album from Russian doom metal band Mare Infinitum.
Cryosleep contains 47 minutes of epic symphonic doom metal, although these simple words don’t really do the music here sufficient justice. Mare Infinitum’s style takes a base of death/doom and then builds on this with lavish orchestration and operatic depth. This is not your typical death/doom though, and the album is more akin to a banquet of extraordinary epic operatic metal than anything else – it frequently ventures into bombastic symphonic power metal territories, for example, (think Therion and Nightwish). However, whatever genre tags you apply, the simple fact remains that Cryosleep is a remarkable album.
The heavily symphonic and grandiose material is exquisitely rendered in three-dimensional colour that’s vivid and expansive. The music is ambitious and accomplished, with sterling performances from everyone involved. The singing and the guitar leads/solos deserve special mention, although to be honest I could say that about every musician’s output here. Cryosleep is a huge and majestic affair, and is of high quality throughout.
The songs are well-written and arranged. They’re filled with emotion and atmospheric feeling. Highly melodic, surprisingly catchy and memorable, and packed with sumptuous content that is rich and satisfying, Cryosleep is a very strong album. Something like this could so easily have disappeared into its own bubble of self-importance. Instead, we get an album of power and potency that exudes quality and presence.
The music drips with emotion and offers a luscious journey into extravagance that reveals just as much substance as its obvious style. Mare Infinitum are very talented, and Cryosleep is a huge win.
Essential listening for fans of epic orchestral metal.