ITP REVIEW: OFFICIUM TRISTE: CHARCOAL HEARTS: 15 YEARS OF HURT (BEST OF COMPILATION)

*BAND: OFFICIUM TRISTE (ROTTERDAM, HOLLAND) **GENRE-FUNERAL DOOM/DEATH/DOOM ***LABEL-DISPLEASED RECORDS ***** RELEASE DATE: 5/15/09
***** PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG):
Demo (1994)
Mountains of Depressiveness (EP, 1996-WEEPING WILLOW RECORDS)
Ne Vivam ( 1997- TEUTONIC EXISTENCE RECORDS)
Officium Triste / Cold Mourning (Split, 1998-WEEPING WILLOW RECORDS)
Roses on my Grave (EP, 1999-DISPLEASED RECORDS)

The Pathway ( 2001-DISPLEASED RECORDS)
Reason (2004-DISPLEASED RECORDS)
Giving Yourself Away (2007-DISPLEASED RECORDS)
Charcoal Hearts - 15 Years of Hurt: Best Of Compilation (2009-DISPLEASED RECORDS)




****** BEST RELEASE(S): Mountains of Depressiveness (1996), Reason (2004), Giving Your Self Away (2007)

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TRACKLISTING: OFFICIUM TRISTE: "CHARCOAL HEARTS: 15 Years Of Hurt" : (BEST OF COMPILATION):

01. No Hope
02. Divinity [re-recorded]
03. My Charcoal Heart [Acoustic Version]
04. Love Like Blood [Killing Joke cover]
05. Fading Like A Dying Candle [From The Split With Cold Mourning (1998)]
06. Downfall (Through Veils Of Grey) [From The Split With Cold Mourning (1998)]
07. Intro: Officium Triste Part II [Mountains of Depressiveness EP (1996)]
08. Mountains Of Depressiveness [Mountains of Depressiveness EP (1996)]
09. Dreams Of Sorrow [Mountains of Depressiveness EP (1996)]


ITP RATING:***
PRODUCTION: *** 1/2
SONGWRITING: ***
PERFORMANCE: *** 1/2

Rotterdam Holland's OFFICIUM TRISTE are a melodic death bordering on funeral doom band founded by brothers Johan and Martin Kwakernaak back in the early 90's. After disbanding (1998), OFFICIUM TRISTE re united in 2000 and have had upward mobility in the death/doom scene since.
OFFICIUM TRISTE offer a melodic death doom sound, akin to early ANATHEMA, PARADISE LOST and MY DYING BRIDE often invoke a melancholic atmosphere with occasional prog rock excursions.
Here, we at ITP have OFFICIUM TRISTE's CHARCOAL HEARTS: 15 YEARS OF HURT, a best of compilation, and a 15 year anniversary fan treat from a band that has transformed Rotterdam into RotterDOOM. I have to admit, it's quite awkward to review a best of compilation, in all fairness, reviewing a full length CD would be the better and more ideal way to judge a bands releases, rather than the best tracks from previous releases.
So, we at ITP are spanking each other for not reviewing OFFICIUM TRISTE's previous releases and we WILL get around to it.
CHARCOAL HEARTS: 15 Years of Hurt: kicks off with brand new track entitled "No Hope" with it's melancholy piano intro, melodic guitar leads, and some expressive death metal vocals via Pim Blankenstein. "No Hope" transforms to a sludgy riff change at 2:04 and ends with the melodic, sadness that would make MY DYING FANS weep. Awww.
"Divinity", re recorded from OFFICIUM TRISTE"s 2001 release "The Pathway", seeps into our hearts with keyboards and a little tech guitar riff, then rumbles in full throttle and at 2:44 catches a nice groove and rolls into atmospheric melody.
"My Charcoal Heart" from 2007's "Giving Your Self Away", was recorded in an acoustic version featuring mandolin, clean vocals, nice piano inter play and an almost Latin feel to the song. The acoustic version of "Charcoal Heart" is totally different, kinda cheeky, taking the melancholic atmosphere out of one of the better OFFICIUM TRISTE tunes.
"Love Like Blood" is OFFICIUM TRISTE's Killing Joke cover, done alternative rock style, with no death vocals, clean rock vocals. No death/doom version of this song? Me thinks OFFICIUM TRISTE should give Killing Joke the DOOMED version. Killing Joke shall be doomed. Kinda disappointing, but if ya take OFFICIUM TRISTE's version of KILLLING JOKES "Love Like Blood" for what it is, it's a cool song, knowing why KILLING JOKE were such a cult act back in the 80's.
"Fading Like a Dying Candle" is from OFFICIUM TRISTE's 1998 split with COLD MOURNING. With an ominous intro, acoustic guitars and a nice melodic guitar lead, this song flows into a melodic, personal bliss. At 2:06, "Fading Like a Dying Candle" morphs into beautiful twin lead guitars, reminding me of a less indulgent ORCHID era Opeth. The 4:43 to 6:15 instrumental part is just not all that cohesive or necessary, but I love the proud twin, melodic guitar leads on this track.
"Downfall" (Through Veils Of Grey) is pulled from OFFICIUM TRISTE's 1998 split with COLD MOURNING. "Downfall" takes some twists and turns, riff changes here and there, and some incohesive prog rock excursions, as the last few minutes of said tune seems to communicate OFFFICUIM TRISTE's potential.
"Intro: Officium Triste Part II" is literally a 1:29 cock rock instrumental intro, seemingly out of place and having nothing to do with doom. I mean who would put an intro of guys wanking off on a best of compilation? LOL.
"Mountains of Depressiveness" is the title track of OFFICIUM TRISTE's 1996 EP. "Mountains of Depressiveness" is an opus of melodic, depressive doom, raw, understated, and damn good.
CHARCOAL HEARTS: 15 YEARS OF HURT closes with a track from again, OFFICIUM TRISTE's 1996 EP "Mountains of Depressiveness", "Dreams of Sorrow". There are some, again quality twin guitar solos in "Dreams of Sorrow", making for a melodic, intimate sound of melancholic bliss.. However, the lack of cohesive songwriting, sets OFFICIUM TRISTE back on "Dreams Of Sorrow", then again, this song was written eons ago, and the band has grown leaps and bounds since then.
What OFFICIUM TRISTE has offered on the CHARCOAL HEARTS: 15 YEARS OF HURT is a best of compilation featuring one new tune, one cover, an acoustic version of a fan fave,
and remixed versions of the split MCD '98 and the Mountains of Depressiveness EP '96.
Often best of compilations are a subject of band and artist resentment towards labels. Bands choke on their pride and hope to get in a word edge wise for unreleased, remixed and re mastered songs, a new tune, and extras to pacify fans until a new release of original material. "Best of Compilations" are often the record labels cash cows but an opportunity for new and potential fans to sample the better material of a bands career often closing one chapter and opening a another.
I feel that "CHARCOAL HEARTS: 15 Years of Hurt" is somewhat unbalanced in track selection as I can do without the Killing Joke cover, the intro, and even the acoustic version of Charcoal Heart, the bonus and alternate versions of songs were disappointing, and the production shines clear only on the newest material.
Or perhaps I'm jonesing for some NEW OFFICUIM TRISTE as I do like the new original tune, "No Hope".
Otherwise, I would have expected better.
ITP RATING:***
PRODUCTION: *** 1/2
SONGWRITING: ***
PERFORMANCE: *** 1/2
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-