Most of you (especially you doom fanatics out there) should be familiar with Eyes of Ligeia, Georgia's reining (and only) doom/death metal band! Hell, EOL has been promoted numerous times in these pages and with good cause as, frankly, Eyes of Ligeia kicks fucking ass.

Lucky 'zine editor that I am, Toby was kind enough to send a promo copy of his latest release, the full version of The Night's Plutonian Shore (of which the demo version was reviewed a couple issues back). This CD includes the three songs from that demo ("In the Place Where There Is No Darkness", "Nevermore" and "As the Twilight Fades Away"), "To Drown Beyond the Sunset" (from the debut MCD) plus two new compositions: "Khephra in Thy Hiding" and "Seraphs Uplifted with the Sun", both of which are absolutely stunning, epic doom metal pieces!

Let's start with the sound. Whereas the prior three-song promo had a rather lop-sided production (hey, it was a demo), this full-length - clocking in at just over fifty minutes - features a much more balanced recording. The drums are particularly well-programmed and sound much more "real" than on past material. Toby's vocals are as great as ever and his growling style lends a special ambiance to the music. Hell, I dare any of you to find another singer who sounds like he!

Musically, these six songs show that Toby is quite an apt musician. He's really honed his skills since releasing the A Dirge for the Most Lovely Dead MCD in '99. I especially enjoy the way he seamlessly seques from those utterly mournful clean guitar passages to the heavier distorted segments. The two new songs are stunning. "Khephra. . ." actually has a clean guitar riff that sounds like it was taken from an older EOL song. This kind of despondency is just so rare in today's limp-wristed flower-happy "goth doom"-infested scene.

If you buy (or download) only a few doom metal records this year, make sure The Night's Plutonian Shore is one of them or you'll miss out on one hell of an album.

BEWARE: Eyes of Ligeia is suicide-inducing.

Preferred tracks: all six - "As the Twilight Fades Away", "To Drown Beyond the Sunset", "Nevermore", "Khephra in Thy Hiding", "In the Place Where There Is No Darkness", "Seraphs Uplifted with the Sun"

taken from Eternal Frost Webzine #12, written by goden

Full length release from metal composer Toby Chappel. Six songs at just under an hour that will be some of the most wandering, meandering, churning epic doom that you're likely to hear this year unless THERGOTHON reform and release something. Think you've heard slow before? Try this one and see what slow is! While the songs tend to drone on with no real plan, there is a flow of misery and melancholy throughout. Be thankful razor blades aren't included with this release!

taken from Metal Nightmare Webzine #10, written by Tom Wren

Judging from their moniker and album title, Eyes of Ligeia are heavily influenced by Edgar Allan Poe. His melancholy tales and poems, replete with grim, near horrific overtones, are a fitting influence for a doom metal record. I'm surprised Poe hasn't exerted a greater influence over some of the more sombre bands. Eyes of Ligeia is yet another one-man band on UHR. While I think that the formation of many one-man bands is due in part to musical pretentiousness (the "no-one has the same vision / understands me / can do it as well as me" syndrome), Eyes of Ligeia's Toby demonstrates that he indeed possesses the necessary talent to pull it off. The guitars produce an unusual, high-pitched, almost artificial sound, almost as if it is trying to sound like a keyboard imitating a guitar. Definitely different. The vocals too are different from the norm: instead of sorrow-filled mournful clean vocals or death style grunts, the vocalist utilises a whispery, high-pitched rasp. Despite the unusual sounds, the slow mournful pace of the songs leaves no doubt in my mind that this is a doom metal album. The song structures bring to mind the likes of _As the Flower Withers_-era My Dying Bride whilst undeniably retaining an aura of originality. Simply like no other doom metal band. Unfortunately, Toby has put Eyes of Ligeia on hold at the moment as he concentrates on his other project, Amphigory, which should also be worth a listen or two.

7.5 out of 10

taken from Chronicles of Chaos #57 , written by Quentin Kalis

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