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COLD COLOURS
MMXIV EP

Self-released (2014)
Rating: 6/10

This Minneapolis, Minnesota-based act has existed in some form since 1995 when they began as Wolfthorn, who were a side project of vocalist Brian James Huebner.

In 1999 the group became known as Cold Colours, and a year later issued debut effort Somnium XIII. Cold Colours was the fourth full-length release from the band, who is known for their melodic strains of doomy yet progressive metal. It emerged in 2013, and has now been followed by this three-track EP.

Often regarded as dabbling with depressive doom metal, Cold Colours continues with the vain of growled vocals from Huebner which are complemented by the intriguing instrumentation provided by lead guitarist Aaron Lott, rhythm guitarist Matt Hamilton, and two drummers in the shape of Will Maravelas (‘Heathen’ and ‘From This Pain’) and Mike Andrie (drums on ‘Terminal Winter’).

Musically, in spite of its depressive edge, MMXIV is a competent – if a tad cold – metal record which successfully combines weight and melody, the result being three shadowy numbers which never weigh the listener down. This is very much contemporary doom metal, although the vocals do have a sprig of metalcore angst about them – something which I rarely applaud, but in the scheme of things the deathlier aspects of this EP enable the aggression to outweigh the sombre progression.

The main ingredient here that seems to fuel proceedings is emotion, because although there are sprays of chugging riffs, much of the record is in fact uplifting and only hints at shades of grey rather than suffocating black. The leads worm their way through the clammy mist and the riffs have an almost black metal grate about them at times, and so the images that are conjured are ones that are bleak but never unrewarding.

Thankfully, Cold Colours do not succumb to the powers of the over-long song syndrome. Instead, the trio of numbers gracefully drift by and culminate in the EP’s most impressive number which is ‘Terminal Winter’. It has an aching quality about it and the drums and guitar almost chime together like some distant yawning bell, but the variation with the slightly clearer vocals means that there is an air of the woeful here more evident than on any other track. As this is modern metal though, it just doesn’t evoke the graven shadows that one comes to expect from doom metal.

Nonetheless, there are several positives about this opus – namely the juddering bass-lines and the stirring leads – but it’s far from being the depressive ambush I expected. While the EP comes crusted with an icy chill, it is soon melted by the contemporary aesthetics of it all, meaning that MMXIV is a solid release but not necessarily one doom-laden enough to bring the rain.

Neil Arnold

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