Illegal Foreign Object

It was late-1994 when the Black Sabbath camp released a tribute to the band called, cleverly enough, Nativity in Black: A Tribute to Black Sabbath. The final track on the album is a haunting cover of the song “Black Sabbath” by none other than the purveyors of all thing doom campy, Type O Negative. On that track, Peter Steele and Co. took something I always found a little silly and turned it into a terrifying, 7-minute and 45-second descent into Hell. I remember being legitimately freaked out by the version. I was staying over at my brother Frank’s house that night. When it was over, we played it again.

Last night, I unknowingly flung myself into a similar situation with Dream Unending’s 2022 release, Song Of Salvation. Before last night, I’d never heard of the band — now, I can’t imagine life without them.

Song Of Salvation is stunningly beautiful. There’s a vastness to the sound that extends and envelops — a dream-doom spiritual awakening like I’ve not experienced in years.

For all intents and purposes, Dream Unending is a side project. Innumerable Form’s Justin DeTore lends his guttural howl and drumming to the proceedings; Tomb Mold’s Derrick Vella plays bass and guitar that somehow sounds anthemic, ethereal, and haunting without ever feeling unfocused. Song Of Salvation is a tight record played by talented musicians.

The album opens with the title track. It’s a 14-minute adventure of a song, a call out from the darkened woods. This is not going to sound like our regular gigs.

“Secret Grief” follows and finds the duo deftly tightrope walking through death, doom, and progressive metal. The song is Pink Floyd if David Gilmour decided to really throw us for a loop. DeTore’s growl fades seamlessly into a short Valle piece called “Murmur Of Voices”. Subtle string-picking weaves into an anthemic solo played over a hoard of uncomfortable whispers.

How “Unrequited” unfolds itself is reminiscent of Steve Vai’s less technical, more delicate moments. The first half of the song is a reassuring hand on your shoulder. You spend the second half in flight, streaking across the cosmos. There’s a quiet reassurance to this song that levels me.

“Ecstatic Reign” is a 16-minute float through the darkest parts of your mind. DeTore’s death metal growl gives way to a delicate siren call from Phantom Divine’s McKenna Rae around the 3-minute mark, and at that moment, I became convinced that everything would be okay. I don’t mean everything in that moment — I mean everything everywhere. When DeTore wrests away control from Rae while simultaneously pummeling the listener with a blast of double-kick drums, everything ticks up a notch. An anthemic guitar solo from Vella bridges the gap to a disquieting patch that requires a steady hand on the tiller. A Queensrÿche-like spoken part from actor Richard Poe calms the ear (before DeTore and Vella unleash one last assault). Ride out the storm — it’s worth it. 

 How can something so punishingly heavy be so peaceful?

 As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to connect with new music. I’m not screaming at clouds about things being better “in my day”, but it’s certainly true that most of what I hear these days fails to resonate with me. Additionally, I am not a death metal guy. I’ve heard all the greats unleash their very best, and it’s simply not for me. As such, Innumerable Form and Tomb Mold will never be my thing. Dream Unending’s Song Of Salvation is something altogether different. There’s an unrelenting focus on melody throughout the album — it is intentional, amplified, embraced. Lay in a dark room and listen to this album from beginning to end.

Track List:

1. Song Of Salvation 8/10
2. Secret Grief 9/10
3. Murmur Of Voices 9/10
4. Unrequited 10/10
5. Ecstatic Reign 9/10

Grade: 90