Album Details

• Artist: Warning
• Album: Watching From A Distance
• Label: The Miskatonic Foundatio
• Year of Release: 2006
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2008-08-05

Warning came with none, and left an impression on the post-millenium doom metal scene that no other band has quite matched yet. Watching From A Distance is a monolith of an album, towering in it's nature and demonstrating a ferocity that's only balanced by the lyrical themes. 5 tracks, 50 minutes of agonizingly slow grinding doom metal.

As a 3-piece, the band creates something that sounds so much bigger throughout the album. The style, as mentioned, is all down-tuned grinding depression, with riffs that slowly churn on as the drums punctuate the deafening drone. Above it all soar the twisted and melancholic vocals of Patrick Walker, who's lyrics add to the overall sense of damnation and suffering through tales of bitter loss and punishing burden. While most doom fans will feel right at home, there will be many who are drawn back by this style; mostly because it doesn't change at all. The tempo might vary slightly, but only from mid-paced crawl to slow crawl to an inching crawl. An oozy pit of despair is boiled over and over...and over. Even if you love this stuff, you just might feel as loaded with baggage after one listen as the album is itself. 

So, apart from any stylistic differences you might have with it, there's nothing but good things to be said for Watching From A Distance. Despite the negativity that comes pouring from it. A true benchmark in doom metal this is, and as such any fan should indeed own it. 

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