October Tide – The Cancer Pledge
Release Date: 6th October 2023
Label: Agonia Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Doom Metal, Melodic Death Metal.
FFO: Opeth, early Katatonia, Swallow the Sun, My Dying Bride.
Review By: Rick Farley
“Sweden’s masters of melodic, doomish death metal, October Tide, will release their seventh studio album, The Cancer Pledge, on October 6th via Agonia Records. The album arrives four years after its predecessor, In Splendor Below, and will coincide with a headlining tour of Europe.”
October Tide started its doom soaked death metal life in 1994 by Fredik Norrman (ex-Katatonia, ex-Trees of Eternity) and Jonas Renske (Katatonia). The band released their incredible debut album, Rain Without End in 1997 and then its follow up Grey Dawn in 1999. The release of their second album eventually lead them to disband, and it wasn’t until 2009, when Fredik Norrman left Katatonia, that October Tide was reformed and rejuvenated. The present day line-up, intact since 2016 features Fredik and his brother Mattias both on guitar, vocalist Alexander Högbom, bassist Johan Jönsegård and drummer Jonas Sköld. Fast-forward to 2023, October Tide continues their shift of more aggressive death metal and less doom on their newest album The Cancer Pledge which is a direct continuation of their previous record. The layers of melancholy still remain in small waves, but the bite of death metal is a lot more prevalent and pushed to the forefront. With the focus being more attacking in nature and toning down the doomy elements, the result ends up being a little paint by numbers. A harsh criticism it seems, but with less atmosphere and lacking in distinguishable traits, The Cancer Pledge comes off as an attempt at being aggressive for the sake of being aggressive. The more I listen to this, the more I hear other bands influence.
However, that’s not to say this is a bad album, because I don’t believe that to be the case. To completely sound like a gatekeeper, the first album is so good, that it lessens my experience with this. This newer direction purposely abandons what made the band great in the first place. I personally prefer my doomy death metal to be, well, doomy. When The Cancer Pledge hits those marks, it’s truly exceptional.
Songs like Unprecedented Aggression, despite its title, is a gloomy burst of grim death metal energy done in all the right melancholic ways. Moody, with twisting guitars that convey dark atmosphere while remaining crushing and heavy. Track eight, which is the album closer, and my personal favourite Breath the Water is a beautiful example of pure doom, death brutality. Ominous, and mesmerizing with agonizing heaviness. Airy, melodic guitar passages over chunky riffs while deep growls scream out in anguish. The double kick and low bass pounding at your chest, threatening to cave it in. There are traces of exceptional songwriting present, but there’s also filler that will either entertain your death metal heart or have you wishing for more miserable ruination.
On the surface, The Cancer Pledge is a worthy album as far as being enjoyable, and it’s certain to please some fans, but for me, it lacks that suffocating darkness that makes the first album so killer. Listen to the track “Sightless” from the debut or “Sweetness Dies” from the follow-up and tell me that the more death metal, less doom is the right direction. With that said, it is still nice to have October Tide putting out albums. Have a listen. 
(3.5 / 5)
