Goden - Vale of the Fallen

Angry Metal Guy

New York City’s Goden embodies the spiritual successor of Winter, a quietly influential death/doom outfit who amassed a devoted cult following 1990’s acclaimed full-length Into Darkness and follow-up 1993 EP Eternal Frost.¹ Original guitarist Stephen Flam and guest keyboardist Tony Pinnissi created the new chapter of Goden, 2020 debut Beyond Darkness (an homage to its parent act) ambushing fans and newcomers alike with mountainous riffs, frosty synths, and vicious vocals – virtually only held back by the act’s obsession with a billion synth interludes. With follow-up Vale of the Fallen, it becomes all the more crucial for Flam and company to continue its trajectory of success.

More than Beyond Darkness, Vale of the Fallen is shrouded in mystery. Goden’s pieces are all there, but instead of the cosmic theme of its predecessor, 2024 finds the now-quartet collapsing to a dead earth, embracing bleakness in a devastated expanse. Flam’s riffs are unmistakable, Pinnissi’s synths chill the bones, Val Kallas’ sinister and dynamic vocals weave stories and lament barren landscapes, and new drummer Jason Krantz adds a pulsing tension through doom plods and vicious double bass, while guest violinist Margaret Murphy’s haunting strings echo like a scream gone unheard. The ingredients sound much like Beyond Darkness, but Vale finds Goden focusing on stark minimalism rather than riffs. A trimmer and more crawling affair, it does not outdo Beyond Darkness or the act’s history in Winter in the slightest, but instead maps out a curious path of its own.

Vale of the Fallen by Goden

That’s not to say Winter’s penchant for filth and doom is neglected. While the pioneer’s efforts felt like grimy death with a side of doom, Goden’s interpretation has always felt more doom-forward. In this way, Vale of the Fallen embraces the low and slow more heartily – focusing on sprawling filth rather than beating you over the head with it. “In the Vale of the Fallen,” “Urania,” and “Zero” are grimy contributions, minimalist riffs echoing across with its blend of fuzz and crunch, with subtle guitar flourishes and violin adding a sinister dimension, while the bass-centric “Black Vortex” and “Majestic Symphony” add weight to the silence. Kallas remains one of the most versatile and invaluable members of Goden, her range of torturous bellows, devastating shrieks, and ominous spoken word guiding with charisma and viciousness, shining like a collapsing star in the minimalist “Black Vortex” or the spoken word of “Manifestation IX,” adding ominous cleans to “Majestic Symphony” – a worthy and dreary conclusion of a further devastation to follow.

One of the biggest issues in Vale of the Fallen is that its unique starkness can be its own undoing. Flam’s riffs are decidedly weaker and less saturated than in previous Goden or Winter incarnations, and Kallas’ vocals are suddenly a necessity, as the minimalist riffs of “Death Magus,” for example, get painfully repetitive by its conclusion due to the lack of vocals and over repetition. Even the best tracks “Zero” and “Urania” can feel too repetitive or boring in its one-riff-per-song construction that curiously lacks death/doom’s signature devastation. While the interlude issue is better in Vale of the Fallen, there are still four ambient interludes; while “Rings of Saturn” and “Manifestation IX” add an iciness and menace, opener “The Divine” feels awkward, as staccato piano and sprawling synths collide in a sloppy manner. Like Beyond Darkness, Goden’s pacing is awkward. “Majestic Symphony” is an aptly subtle and ominous closer to a subtle and ominous album, but having two interludes “Manifestation IX” and “The Requiem” separating it from the album climax “Zero” pumps the brakes on the momentum considerably.

All that to say, Vale of the Fallen doesn’t feel done by the same Goden as Beyond Darkness. It’s far more crawling than bombastic, more minimalist than pummeling. Flam’s guitar tone is far more straightforward with less synth flourishes (reminiscent of Winter’s Into Darkness), and Kallas’ vocals are more front-and-center. However, while pacing was a glaring issue with its predecessor, Vale manages to overcome this issue slightly more fluidly, due to the emphasis on storytelling and atmosphere. However, it’s difficult to accurately rate due to the vast differences, as the meteoric riffs are less a priority than the barren landscapes they left. Goden’s weaknesses are exposed in the overreliance on Kallas and its stark lack of signature mountainous riffs, which is a painful reality for Vale of the Fallen. Traverse this wilderness with trepidation.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Svart Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 17th, 2024

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