I did not vote for Hillary Clinton. Does that mean I don't want females in Metal either? Not at all. To be honest, there aren't enough, and only a handful are widely recognized (Angela Gossow and Jo Bench, for example). HEREM, as a certain homophone of the name would imply, celebrates sexual diversity in Doom Metal.

Now don't think this Finnish quintet put an attractive woman on vocals as just a gimmick; she performs her role as an equal to the other instruments in play. What we get is a bass-heavy, stonerific showcase of ELECTRIC WIZARD-style Metal, but at a faster tempo than those Doomy dukes of Dorset. The mood, however, is just as dark.

This brings me back to the vocalist, who hisses and growls quite similarly to her counterpart in ARCH ENEMY. But unlike Angela, Valendis lends some clean vocals on “Dawn Of The Last Day,” but only briefly. As hypnotic as they sounded, I was left yearning for more.

As for the instrumental music, the highlight is “Blood For A God,” which starts with a slow beat of crunchy frustration that trudges on until the band releases its emotions in a more upbeat jam, but concludes with the satisfaction of expunging the depression. This renewed hope continues into “I Am The Sun,” a song that is empowering by Doom Metal's standards. But like any high, it cannot be sustained, and the song transitions into a cathartic re-exposition to the vexations of real life.

Fans of Stoner Doom à la LAMENTED SOULS and ELECTRIC WIZARD should pick this baby up. As for those who think less of Stoner Doom, don't expect any converts out of this.

(Online July 6, 2008)