With three songs clocking in at over 13 minutes in length, the latest CD from Minsk can definitely be labeled as epic. Their sound is dark and plodding, with elements of doom, stoner and psychedelic metal.
The songs on The Ritual Fires Of Abandonment have pounding tribal style drums with layers upon layers of doom laden guitar riffs. Keyboards and synths add yet more layers of density and atmosphere. This is not an album with big hooks and singalong choruses. Instead it's about building a soundscape that's forbidding and emotional.
The vocals on the album are secondary on most of the songs and are buried deep in the mix. The fuzzy guitars and pounding rhythms take center stage a lot of the time. Although not easily accessible and sometimes too lengthy and self-indulgent, there are a lot of appealing elements, especially for doom and stoner metal fans.
