Self-Hatred - Theia (CD)

Review
Stereogum

If the name didn’t tip you off, Self-Hatred is a death/doom band. True to form, Theia, this fittingly titan-esque Czech sextet’s debut, does all of the requisite death/doom things: slow-mo guitars and growls break you down like wheat in a mill, drums pound around your skull like an introvert’s hangover headache, atmospheric synths add an extra layer of pillowy sadness. But this ain’t an everyday kind of depression. That would be a go-nowhere, wall-staring drone. No, like their funeral doom cousins, Self-Hatred romanticizes dejection, giving Theia a 3-D feel compared to other albums working out bouts of flat doomer despondency. Creeping in here and there, in the mournful guitar leads and clean vocal melodies especially, is a gothy sort of lachrymosity. Tear-stained grandeur, even. But don’t think Self-Hatred can’t bring the heft. Take “No Judgement”. It’s heavy as heck from the onset; the sound of celestial bodies grinding against gravity. But check out what happens when Self-Hatred wants to travel. The middle pitstop, with its ethereal vocals and heart-string-yanking riffs, is lush, achingly attractive stuff. That section also sets up “Judgement”‘s finale, a big ol’ cathedral-filling crescendo where sound is maximized. Self-Hatred is a fantasy where sadness goes somewhere and eventually pays off.

Author: Ian Chainey

Review
Metal Archives
7/10
30.09.2016

I came across this band while checking out the many death/doom metal releases from 2016. Self-Hatred is a Czech band with a strong focus on atmosphere. The competition in the death/doom field seems to get tougher by the day, with new acts popping up everywhere. It’s becoming a game where you have to do more than simply rehash “Brave Murder Day” to succeed.

As I said earlier, the focus on “Theia” is generally on creating atmosphere. One band I would compare in terms of pulse is Holland’s Officium Triste, but this has more a funeral doom edge musically. The landscapes are bleak and discouraging. I do feel that the emotional impact could be bigger, since there isn’t really that much going on in terms of hitting the listener. This is a dulling album, rather than a evocative one. The bleakness is accentuated by a sludgy production job that evens things out rather than creates dynamics. Even though the band picks up the pace with a blastbeat part here and there, it rarely becomes energetic. It works both ways though, because the hypnotic factor makes it play well as a full album.

Guitars are basic and usually play open power chords or 4/4 rhythms. 4/4 rhythms aside, it’s almost notable to hear a new death/doom so devoid of “Brave Murder Day” influence. Instrumentally, this sounds more like funeral doom in a slightly higher tempo. This is also true for the keyboard and organ parts, which have a strong funeral doom influence. I especially hear a lot of Skepticism in the organ sound. The keyboard presence is a positive part, since it gives the basic guitar progressions some necessary extra bite. I’m not really that big on the usual funeral doom deal with 18 minute songs, so the 6-7 minute compositions on “Theia” work better for me.

Vocals are a combination of low end growls and Agalloch style black metal vocals. There are also some funeral doom styled choirs present. The vocals do the trick, but I would’ve liked some more hooks in the songs. Overall, they tend to match the brooding music without really leaving any impression of their own. I guess this won’t be a problem for most doom enthusiasts though, since it’s rarely a genre you listen to for big choruses. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking for arena rock here. However, having a few strong growl phrases pop up in my head would be nice.

The focus on “Theia” is undeniably to go all in on atmosphere. The result is a decent death/doom metal album that comes across as competent without being extraordinary. Pretty good for a debut. It will be interesting to see where the band goes on from here. There is certainly potential for good things in the future.

Author: stefan86

Review
Atmosfear Zine
9/10

Разрешите привлечь ваше внимание к дебютному альбому чешской группы. Никогда ранее я не догадывался об их существовании, тем неожиданнее был сюрприз услышать отличную музыку. Чехи играют атмосферный дэз / дум с классическим гроулом и мощными гитарными рифами по канонам стиля. Свою атмосферу создают клавишными инструментами. Клавишная заливка звуком органа присутствует не в одной композиции. Также клавишными инструментами создают чехи и не одну мелодию на альбоме. Отлично вписался в общую палитру женский голос, который создает атмосферные распевки, прям как на первом альбоме SHAPE OF DESPAIR. Единственно, я не уверен, что вокалистка тоже не синтезирована клавишными. После трех прослушиваний я заметил у группы только лишь один недостаток. Их альбом длится всего сорок минут и одной композиции не хватает для полного счастья. Есть еще что-то неуловимо блэковое в музыке чехов. Может быть дополнительный вокал, тяготеющий к скриму, создает эту иллюзию, а может и еще что-то. В итоге отличнейший дебют. Это пропустить нельзя.

Author: Neophyte

Review
Doom-Metal.com
7.5/10
25.02.2017

According to a popular, albeit not undisputed, theory, in the early days of our solar system, a planetary mass referred to as Theia collided with proto-earth. The debris from this massive-scale collision then formed Earth’s moon. It is interesting to think that such a cataclysmic event might have played a significant role in the emergence of life on earth, considering the importance of the moon’s gravity for the dynamics of our home planet. As the title of a Doom Metal album, ‘Theia’ thus seems like a powerful metaphor, even if Czech newcomers Self-Hatred may be drawing on the name’s origin in Greek mythology rather than its use in science: on the excellent front cover, we see, supposedly, goddess Theia and her husband Hyperion, the parents of Sun, Moon and Dawn, in front of what could depict both the sun or moon. The ragged rock they are standing on ends abruptly to give way to calm waters, a contrast that can be seen to represent the dichotomy of destruction of creation, or simply death and life, as outlined above.

As you can guess from the long-winded discussion of the title and artwork, this debut gives the impression of a well thought-out and accomplished piece of art: be it the visuals, the musicianship or the production, there is nothing amateurish about ‘Theia’. It seems like we are dealing with experienced musicians who are very serious about what they are doing. In fact, if you prefer your Doom a little dirty and rough around the edges, the performances on this album may well be too professional for you, which I do mean as a compliment to the band.

All the instrumental work on display is as technically flawless as the vocals, which are quite diverse: deep, powerful growls dominate the picture, but you’ll also hear some blackish screams and even crazy shrieks creeping in from the background in a few places. Lastly, a female singer contributes some quality backing vocals which can sound somewhat reminiscent of Ava Inferi, especially in ‘Slither’, but they are only used as a supportive element to flesh out the atmosphere without pushing the music too far into a Gothic Doom direction.

As most contemporary releases on Solitude, the album also benefits from a top-notch production: the recording quality itself is excellent, as is the balancing and differentiation of instruments in the mix, the only exception being the ride cymbal, which is a tad too overbearing in places.

Stylistically, the band plays modern, atmospheric Death Doom that feels like something of a tour de force through the history of the genre, employing elements from various subdivisions that have occurred since the early nineties while steering clear of harsh outbursts of aggression. From brooding, heavy Doom riffs to the occasional double bass section, from the epic and nostalgic mid-section of ‘No Judgement’ to the apocalyptic ‘Attraction’, plodding along in almost funereal fashion complete with organs and more than a slight hint of Abstract Spirit, and from the pleasant lead-guitar hook of the instrumental title track to the uptempo ‘Brave Murder Day’ vibe of ‘Self-Reflection’ – Self-Hatred handle all of these elements confidently.

The only hint that they are not yet a fully matured band is that they don’t always succeed in blending these diverse influences into a coherent whole: the songwriting seems to follow some intangible, underlying narrative, but comes across as somewhat unfocused and inconsistent with transitions that, though never abrupt, can be counter-intuitive. Thus, the songs rarely come together as proper units, which makes the music strangely unmemorable and inaccessible compared to other bands with a similar polished sound. Of all the songs, ‘Memories’, the album closer, is probably the most accomplished composition and illustrates the potential that might come to fruition on a follow-up.

In many ways, though musically very different, Self-Hatred remind me of the Faroese band Hamferð: they, too, seemed to appear out of nowhere when they released their debut EP in 2010, and the excellent musicianship and atmosphere as well as the high-grade production values catapulted them straight to the forefront of the scene, all this despite some clumsy song structures. But their Czech colleagues do not hit quite as high a mark – not yet, anyway. They will need to develop a voice that is more uniquely and distinctly their own in order to catch up with the established masters. And I am confident that they can.

This said, ‘Theia’ may not be a perfect album by a long shot, but its flaws are easily forgiven for a debut. On balance, it’s still an impressive release that Death Doom fans shouldn’t ignore as long as they don’t mind the polished approach. Even if, strictly speaking, it doesn’t offer anything new, its eclectic blend of elements, strong atmosphere and remarkable degree of professionalism make up for that.

Author: Dominik Sonders

Review
Lords of Metal
7.8/10

‘Theia’ is the debut full-length of the Czech outfit Self-Hatred. Although their moniker might suggest so they are hardly a depressive suicidal black metal band, but are rather specialised in melodic death/doom metal. Employing piano and synths to create a soothing character in conjunction with the sorrowful melodies do the trick in creating a mournful and bleak atmosphere. Stylistically they seem to be inspired by acts like Mar De Grises and October Tide while their more heavy moments seem to have some commonality with bands like Urna. Of course, there is a British side to their melodic misery too. The songs are quite dynamic and especially for doom metal there is quite a lot going on. There is also quite some variation in the vocals as well as there is also a female vocalist present besides the growling male. The effect is quite interesting and a far cry from the usual gothic prancing. In fact, with a slightly tighter production I suspect that Self-Hatred could deliver a masterpiece in the future. ‘Theia’ is a strong and interesting debut!

Author: Roel de Haan