Recently I reviewed the re-released first full length of Officium Triste, entitled Ne Vivam (the review can be read here) , an album I like a lot. However, with this new album they’ve progressed impressively. Although I don’t know their second album, The Pathway, the increase in quality between the first and the third album is impressive.

42 minutes long, divided into 5 tracks, the slow melancholic doom metal from Rotterdam, the doom metal capitol of the Netherlands, takes you on a journey through the bleak hope-ridden world of Officium Triste. The lyrics full of misery, written by singer Pim, deal with the (absence of the) meaning of life (“The Silent Witness”, “This Inner Twist”), missing of loved ones (“The Sun Doesn’t Shine Anymore”) and the horrible Dutch weather (“In Pouring Rain”).

The absolute strong points of Reason are the great melodic guitar leads, which can be found throughout the songs, demanding the attention they deserve without being too insistent. Instead of that, they take you gently by the hand and lead you through each song.

Although the grunts of Pim are convincing enough, I recently heard him sing on their 10th anniversary-gig, where his voice sounded deeper than on the record, which is a shame because this deeper grunt would have made Reason even more gloomy. These are just details and a matter of taste. Fact is that Officium Triste released a very strong doom metal album (the best I heard in a long time), these guys will have a hard time recording a better album than this in the future.