Artist – Inner Missing
Album – Escapism
Label – Darknagar records
Year – 2012

1. A Note In Her Hands
2. Dreamless Skies (Nightmare Pt .1)
3. Devotion
4. The Distance
5. Narcolepsia (Nightmares Pt.2)
6. Providence
7. Close Your Eyes
8. Herion Silence

The band was formed in the spring of 2008. In that time it was called Odium and appeared to be a studio project, consisting of 2 members: Sigmund (vocals, guitars, bass) and Cosmic Drone (keyboards). They recorded demo “Decay” that included 3 songs (released in summer 2010 by SioreImmelstorn Records). The demo has got lots of positive opinions. After that musicians were looked for, and after successful search results in autumn, 2008, the band was given its actual name. The band’s debut concert was given on December 19, 2008, and not long before that, the first Inner Missing EP “All the lifeless” was recorded. Denis Devichenskiy (Black Studio) was in charge for recording and mixing and mastering were performed by Dmitri Artaulin (Sunrise studio).The EP was released by Russian independent label Satanarsa Records in March, 2009. For the album’s approval several concert were given in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, among them concerts with such bands as Ordog, Throes Of Dawn and Misanthrope Count Mercyful.
In summer 2009 Inner Missing has taken part in Metal Crowd Festival (Rechitsa, Belarus), where played on one stage with such bands as Forest Stream (Msk), Disease (Latvia), Demogorgon (Pl) and some other European bands. In autumn 2009 the band has taken part in the biggest doom metal festival in Russia – Shadow doom fest, where it shared the stage with Wine From Tears and The Morningside. After that, Inner Missing records its first full-length album “The Age Of Silence” which was released by Darknagar records in summer 2010.In spring 2010 Inner Missing supports Katatonia during its Russian gigs, and then, plays some concerts in different Russian cities such as Vologda and Kazan.

The album “Escapism” starts with A Note In Her Hands you can tell straight away it’s a very dark album with how the vocals are they are very deep and meaningful but with the slow guitar riffs and the melodic drums make it really good start to the album. Dreamless Skies (Nightmare Pt .1) starts with the keyboards then in comes a good guitar riff then the dark vocals start you cannot help but feel the darkness in his voice it penetrates your inner soul later in the song there is more keyboards a some really good guitar riffs. Devotion starts very slow with the guitar the vocals again are very dark slow and meaningful then he hits you with some growling vocals, which goes well. It has some really good keyboarding and some excellent guitar riffs with the melodic drums makes it a really good song. The Distance goes straight into a cracking good riff in which gets my head nodding immediately but again the vocals are slow but with purpose. The guitar riff goes through the song in which it gives the song a melodic touch. Narcolepsia (Nightmares Pt.2) starts with the guitar riff and the vocals virtually together the dark vocals turn into a growling vocals for awhile then the keyboards come in for a solo. Once again a guitar riff comes into play together with the keyboard really give you a chill down your back it really does the job at the end you have a keyboard solo which takes you to the end of the song. Providence is a classy instrumental in which starts with the guitar and keyboards with another good little piece of work. The melodic sounding guitars really get you in this song you will be swaying from side to side as the melodic tunage just takes you away. You have some really good riffs in this song in which I could close my eyes and be taken away to far off place and forget what’s happening around me. Close Your Eyes starts off very quiet and builds up with the keyboards and the drums and bang the guitar riff hits you together with the vocals. Again the song is very dark but with the melodic guitar work, the keyboards and the dark vocals really pulls you in and makes you listen. Herion Silence starts with the keyboards and some very sad sounding vocals then the melodic guitars come in with some good solid riffs. The guitar work will get you nodding your head it is that good you do get some growling vocals in here but only a little bit. But the vocals really tell a great story together with drums, keyboards and the guitar riffs give it a really good ending to the album.

Overall
My overall conclusion for this album is it’s a very dark purposeful album with some really great guitar work with solid vocals and some melodic sounding keyboards. They throw in a cracking little instrumental in the middle of the album in which breaks it up perfectly. All in all it is a good album for those fans that like Moonspell and My Dying Bride. Myself I would definitely go and buy this.

8/10

Reviewed by David Pearce

Members
Sigmund – vocals/guitar
Alex Trivien – guitar
Melaer – keyboards
Bjorn – bass
Valtazar – drums