I've seen a lot of sources dub the deeds of Memory Garden as power/doom metal, but I'm hearing something a little more traditional throughout "Doomain," perhaps a concoction of Black Sabbath, Queensrÿche, and post-reunion Mercyful Fate; the deluxe or limited edition or whatever special packages are called these days contains cover songs of all three bands, in fact. I enjoy all three of what I'm assuming are huge influences on Memory Garden, and I thought this would be something up my alley, but I just can't get into this. "Doomain" (there's an extra 'o' because they're a doom band in some respects, isn't that clever?) is largely inconsistent and all over the place. An interesting perspective on heavy metal with a traditional vibe coursing through the power/doom metal capillaries of Memory Garden, but one that's ultimately in vain. I had a bit of a hard time digesting that power/doom metal label; it seemed like a bit of a stretch. However, Memory Garden has core elements of both sounds, particularly in the strident, straightforward guitar work and crispy guitar tone which reek of something in the power metal field, and the deep, haunted vocals of Stefan Berglund and the mid-paced plodding taking after Black Sabbath and others. Memory Garden applies a strict equation during these nine songs, using riffs that are only a few houses down from one another and very similar processes, which all sway between choruses and verses with several, albeit noteworthy guitar solos thrown in as well. It doesn't sound horribly exciting on paper, and it frankly isn't horribly exciting throughout "Doomain," either.
The problem is the universal inconsistency. Memory Garden created four songs (the first four, ironically) that all blossom with originality and fantastic musicianship. Afterwards the Swedes end up running in circles instrumentally with vapid, by-the-numbers feats like "Violate & Create" or "A Diabolical Mind," wherein little of interest occurs and the band is clearly grasping for something to liven up the album. "The King of the Dead" and the title track are sinisterly boring trims of the record's opening notes, swapping the magic for redundancy. Stefan Berglund, Memory Garden's vocalist, delivers one of the weirdest performances I think I've ever heard. He can hit notes, sure, but his chained register limits his versatility, and there are times where it appears he has, I don't know, a speech impediment, or trouble enunciating certain words or syllables, maybe? It's not like Elmer Fudd fronts the group, but there's certainly a wascally wabbit in his voice.
To put it in perspective, the chorus of the stellar "Daughters of the Sea" involves Berglund and a female companion vocalizing the chorus together, and his performance definitely sounds shoddy compared to the elegant chimes of his counterpart, and I'm positive he sounds a little funky during "The Evangelist," like he's slurring his words or something. Either way, "Doomain" is almost entirely forgettable. Memory Garden has a handful of fantastic numbers within the album that are its only means for support, and the rest are like photographs of Memory Garden sleepwalking through their power/doom metal performance. Running through the motions like a hamster on its wheel. Oh well.