Rote Mare – In Ruins (Self-Released)
By Kevin McHugh (www.Hellridemusic.com)
January 29, 2008

'In Ruins' is the latest in a series of self-released misery documents by Down Under's premier one-man doom machine, Phil Howlett. Phil has plenty to say about this Hell we call Earth, and I advise you not to listen if you forgot your Prozac.

Those cognoscenti who've scored Rote Mare's previous efforts will recognize Phil's patented sound immediately. This time around things are surprisingly up-tempo for a doom album, but the blend of Celtic Frost, Sabbath, Trouble, and 70s and 80s rockers like Rainbow and Zep is still very much in evidence. That's the way it is with Rote Mare: If you like it, cool, and if you don't….well…far be it from me to speak for Phil, but I think he grew tired of writing for others long ago, and he pretty much writes for himself these days. So don't look for any radical changes.

Like past releases, the strength of 'In Ruins' is in the songwriting and guitar playing: a mix of traditional riffing doom and hard rawkin'. The vocals soar over the songs with a Robert Smith quaver, punctuated by heartfelt, miserable screams. The lyrics are an important part of the equation, dealing with traditional doom fare like social isolation and deadened emotion, with a particular emphasis on the destruction of the planet overseen by a godless universe.

Although Phil is an accomplished musician, once again he could benefit from someone like Bill Ward, Danny Carey or Dale Crover on drums. Heh heh. Phil does yoeman's work, but the drums still sound rather awkward, with a peculiar rattle on the snare. Nevertheless, it's all part of the Rote Mare picture, and if you're contemplating suicide, you might want to put it off for 70 or so minutes while you listen to this.