There is nothing wrong with adhering to the core concepts and tendencies of what any particular style has held since the beginning, it’s always a fascinating thing to watch someone try to make their own spin on it all. Even if it doesn’t succeed in the end, there’s something to be said for the attempt and the ingenuity to deliver such a thing. In the rare instance where we are given something of intrigue and impressive value, however, it tends to be a work that any of us would be remiss to ignore. Since its inception eight years ago, Tideless has been building up to such an event with its deep approach to death-doom something that can’t quite be seen anywhere else, yet it’s with this sophomore effort that the name has elevated itself to heights heretofore unexpected.

By no means has any version of the line-up for Tideless has been anything to look down on given the wide talent and past experience that adorns the quintet, but albums like “Eye of Water” simply aren’t of the sort that comes around often with the very presence of the record having undeniable weight of its own. Right from that menacing and somewhat Lovecraftian cover art, this is a creation that has a firm grip on your imagination. Writing depths that are constantly twisting while the shadows always dart just from the corner of your vision and the twinkling light from above seems to get further and further away, “Eye of Water” works its brilliance in mysteriously but nigh-on compelling ways.

What Tideless brings to the table here is not straightforward death-doom with a few riffs for some flavor, but, rather, a full-on display of what they’re able to bring to the table in such a fashion that is as immersive as it is well-structured. The atmospheres for the whole of this nearly 75-minute performance of five parts are what gets me going the most as Tideless has everything essential for any death-doom band that’s worth its own salt from the intensity to the magnificent sense of grandeur, but it’s with elements that I can only liken to that of shoegaze that “Eye of Water” takes on flavors that I rarely get to see in anything even closely related to death metal. It’s all brought together beautifully with the final result of this massive effort something that’s both incredibly menacing to take in and impossible to look away from. Given a chance, Tideless would consume your very being by the end of this effort, and it’s after being shown the otherworldly majesties of insanity through “Eye of Water” that you’re inclined to let them do just that.

This is the injection of tenacious imagination and tremendous understanding of how to bring it about in an exquisite fashion that death-doom can always use more of. Tideless has done a lot to make themselves a name to respect with this performance to also make it one that is not to be denied in any form, for I can definitely see this being hailed as an underground jewel the likes of which not enough will have found themselves before to their certain detriment. “Eye of Water” is magnificently dense in every sense with it impossible for you to simply dip your toes into and retreat. This is an infectious effort through and through with every layer seeking to drag you further in, and Tideless has got such a concept down to a certifiable science.

“Eye of Water” releases on September 15th via Chaos Records!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Eye of Water” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Tideless on Facebook here.