The End Records Sampler - "At The End of Infinity [Echoes & Thoughts of Wonder]" review

Artist: At The End of Infinity
Title: [Echoes & Thoughts of Wonder]
Label/ Date: The End Records 2002

Tracks:

1. Reason's Dance [5:14]

2. Light of Day, Day of Darkness [6:57]

3. Odal [6:07]

4. Walk Without Limbs [4:28]

5. Star-Crossed [5:04]

6. Solitude [5:26]

7. The Next Step [5:24]

8. Additions [7:10]

The Review:

"Reason's Desire" taken from "Reflecions of The I". a selction taken from this "supergroup" from Norway which is comprised of mainly from members from Arcturus and Mayhem. The band utilizes a "full string" section rather than using a sythnesized version. This song is qute heavy and breath taking. For those interested, this band is ronted by "clean" male vocals.

"Light of Day, Day of Darkness" taken from "Light of Day, Day of Darkness". a very nice mixture of symphonic and dark doom metal. The song starts out with heavy sythn driven keyboards and contains prominent symphonic keyboards throughout with several time changes. Again, featuring very nice "clean" male vocals.

"Odal" taken from thier forthcoming release "The Mantle". A nice instrumental song that starts out with some gorgeous accoustic guitar setting a somber dark mood. Has a Floydian feel to it then kicks into a darker brooding doomish "ballad".

"Walk Without Limbs" taken from "Sombre Romantic". Some of the heaviest emotional dark symphonic gothic metal I've heard so far. The song sets a soundscape of both doom and gloom adding a techno beat with evil soft spoken vocals.

"Star-Crossed" taken from The Sham Mirrors". More doom and gloom with evil "clean" male vocals that sends shivers up and dow your spine. Great goth metal!

"Solitude" taken from "Winds Blows Higher". A great fusion of darkly set atmospheric metal with ambient and some jazz undertones. A nice male/female lead vocal combo.

"The Next Day" taken from "The Imortality Murder, Disc 1" The fastest gothic metal song on this sampler...wild guitars that seem to be possesed with some evil distorted male vocals similar to Mr. Doctor of Devil Doll.
"Additions" taken from "The Imortality Murder, Disc 2" a nice piano based intrumental. Pleasantly done by the band.

~Ron for ProgNaut.com [July 20th, 2002]

Groups:

1. WINDS "Reflections of The I"

2. Green Carnation "Light of Day, Day of Darkness

3. Agalloch "The Mantle"

4. Virgin Black "Sombre Romantic"

5. Arcturus "The Sham Mirrors"

6. Sleepless "Winds Blow Higher"

7. Scholmance "The Immorality Murder Disc 1"

8. Scholmance "The Immorality Murder Disc 2"