Entry 518 - The 3rd and the Mortal - In This Room

 

Keeping with the theme of 90's doom bands that went away from their metal roots and I lost interest in when they switched vocalists, we have The 3rd and the Mortal. Wow that's a mouthful.

In this Room is strange, very strange. Some songs are instantly accessible, like the dark and brooding opener Stream. It features the deep voice of Ann-Mari to the fullest effect and showcases the bands knack for creating eerie atmospheres. The following instrumental goes into dark ambient territory and further draws me in with its ghostly brooding. Then the album reveals it's true form.

So Pure is the third song of the album and it sounds like a country song gone wrong. It's as if every note of is played off key with intention. Everything clashes and it creates an uncomfortable kind of dissonance. Not the kind you would get from listening to extreme metal. No, this has me wondering if the music is intentionally terrible or if the band are eccentric genius' for writing music like this.

The album continues to get weirder. Sophisticated Vampires merges the craziness of So Pure with the darker ambience of the first few songs of the album. What the hell is this...?

Immediately following is Harvest. An acoustic piece that taps into the first real mournful tone of the album. Much like Stream, everything fits perfectly and is quite powerful. This band makes no sense.

Things continue to unravel as the album continues to evolve. What the hell is going on in Myriad of Peep-holes? The three instrumentals toward the end use the vocals as an instrument instead of a lyrical device. The more I try to figure out the band the more I fail. It's best to let go and enjoy the ride.

The 3rd and the Mortal created something unique with In this Room. It's a combination of dark rock, avant-garde, folk, and plain olde tom-foolery. This would also be the last album with Ann-Mari on vocals, and the follow up would end up being not nearly as good or as goofy as In This Room is. It's a shame because this is some excellent stuff once the shock effect wears off.