Pegah
Sometimes, you don’t need to understand the language to feel the music. That’s exactly how I felt listening to Vacío como el tronco de un árbol muerto, the newly released album by Ornamentos del Miedo. Founded in late 2017 by Ángel Chicote in Burgos, Spain, Ornamentos del Miedo is a one-man Funeral Doom/Death Metal project that delves deep into themes of melancholy, existential dread, and sorrow. After the breakup of his former band, Graveyard of Souls, Chicote set out to craft slow, atmospheric compositions marked by mournful guitar melodies and deeply philosophical lyrics.
Vacío como el tronco de un árbol muerto—literally translated as “Empty like the trunk of a dead tree”—beautifully reflects its title through the album’s cover art: a tree trunk with a black void at its center. The green tones of the trunk evoke a lingering sense of life, even as the darkness inside symbolizes emptiness and decay. The album opens with ambient sounds, resembling the rhythm of inhaling and exhaling, perfectly aligning with the first track’s theme. It’s a fitting beginning, as existence itself starts with a breath. The vocals sound as if entwined with the wind whispering through a forest, blending with the atmosphere and enhancing the feeling of solitude and melancholy.
There is a coldness throughout the album, not in a negative sense, but rather like the gentle chill you feel deep inside a forest, carried by the breeze. Of course, I also took time to explore the lyrics, which are deeply connected to the concept of existence. They carry powerful emotional meaning, even though they are written with simple, straightforward language, free from unnecessary complexity. Despite the length of the tracks, the impressive melodies and haunting solos draw you inward, forcing you to confront your emotions and your truest self. I felt every word, every note, resonate deep within me. This emotional journey continues through the following tracks: “Nunca” (Never), “Emociones Coaguladas” (Coagulated Emotions), and “Inalcanzable” (Unattainable).
The atmosphere and soundscape grow denser, more somber, and more desolate in “El Devorador De Recuerdos” (The Memory Eater). Even the title alone hints at the immense sorrow woven into the music. It reflects the bitter truth of passing time—the seconds and memories that slip away, never to return, leaving only emptiness behind. The closing track, Vacío como el tronco de un árbol muerto, brings this journey through the forest of existence to an end. It draws a striking parallel between the emptiness of reality and an abandoned, lifeless tree trunk, stripped of vitality, with nothing left to offer. It highlights how truth has been buried beneath layers of lies. If bands like Shape of Despair, Doom:VS, or Mournful Congregation speak to your soul, then Ornamentos del Miedo will surely find a place in your heart as well.
Label: Meuse Music Records
Release date: April 25, 2025
Website: https://ornamentosdelmiedo.bandcamp.com/
Country: Spain
Score: 4.0/5.0
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