(In the spring of this year the long-running German traditional doom band Mirror of Deception released a new album named Transience, and our Comrade Aleks reached out to the band to discuss it. That led to the following extensive and very interesting interview with guitarist Jochen Fopp. And yes, the music here is a well-earned exception to the “command” in our site’s name.)

Earlier this year traditional doom metal veterans Mirror of Deception from Göppingen, Germany, made one more statement with their sixth album, Transience. Having spent over 35 (!) years in the metal underground, the band seemed to pass the peak of its fame—which occurred in the mid-2000s, a time when the band’s members were not only releasing albums but also organizing the Doom Shall Rise festival, an event which was important for the genre establishment. Yet, as the years roll by, Mirror of Deception maintains both its reputation and its excellent creative form.

I love this band, but I didn’t expect to say this: Transience sounds not merely viable—it is a strong, authentic album with superb dramatic pacing. The group has channeled all its strengths into the new record; the rich, massive riffs are complemented by Michael Siffermann’s noble clean vocals and captivating, languid melodies. And incidentally, only Michael and guitarist Jochen Fopp remain from the original lineup.

Even early in their career, the band avoided affectation; their “exercises in sorrow” are executed with dignity and come across as natural and authentic. The forty-five-minute Transience comprises seven tracks—a choice that strikes me as a deliberate decision to avoid overwhelming the listener or repeating themselves. Transience offers the comforting familiarity of doom metal exactly as it should be, and we got in touch with Jochen in order to spread a word of Transience and clarify a few things about this album. Continue reading »