MEMORY DRIVEN (Relative Obscurity) CD
It is incomprehensible that Dennis Cornelius is still relatively unknown in the world of doom metal. In contrast to a lot of other musicians he has very individual ideas that are more than just a re-hash of old Black Sabbath riffs. You just have to listen to Revelation's third album '...Yet So Far' where he integrated what was there already and renovated and complemented it with a healthy dose of progressive rock. In his world this means that the music does not sound as if it has been taken out of the fridge. It is still down to earth, ass-kickin', and pleasingly emotional. Just a few years later, Dennis Cornelius founded Oversoul where he remained remarkably true to himself. The only album by Oversoul, named 'Seven Days In November', again offers a powerful blend of doom metal and progressive rock. After a brief interlude in Place Of Skulls, where he switched from guitar to bass, his next band was Dwell Within.
In the year 2008 I Hate Records released the band's 'Monkshood' demo just before a change of name to MEMORY DRIVEN. 'Relative Obscurity' is the title of the first full-length, which has been also released by I Hate Records in 2009. Well, what can I say: This album is a masterpiece. This may be big words, but they did justice to MEMORY DRIVEN. Dennis Cornelius has surpassed himself, but this is also connected with the fact that the other band members are outstanding musicians, too. The band brought together a blend of styles, ranging from doom metal to prog to late 80's "grunge". Yes, I hate this word, but I had no idea how to describe the Alice In Chains influence in their sound. Mea culpa! Right from the start, though, you could tell that MEMORY DRIVEN is characterized by Dennis Cornelius distinctive and powerful clear vocal style that will give me goose pimples in a postive sense.
The same applies to the music that varies between intensive melancholy and the spirit of optimism. Needless to say MEMORY DRIVEN is always heavy as hell and never monotonous. It is advisable to listen carefully to 'Relative Obscurity', because there are many details to discover. This begins in the refined arrangements and ends with the electronic interludes between most of the songs. Especially this trippy elements make sure that this album sounds like a coherent whole. MEMORY DRIVEN succeded in recording an album that simultaneously displays an enormous creative potential and a sense of innovation. Here we have, without doubt, another highlight in 2009. It only remains for me to hope that MEMORY DRIVEN manage it to record more than just one album.
(KK)