Necare - Ruin (2004)

Necare (Neh-Ka-Reh) is the collective work of both Ryan Henry (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals) and Jonathan Greer Cawthon (drums, guitar, keyboards). Necare was founded back in 1999 in Lynchburg Virginia and together these two gentlemen play a style of doom/death metal very similar to early My Dying Bride and Anathema. So, if your familiar with those acts you know to anticipate slow mournful riffs, both low growls and cleanly spoken words, as well as some occasional acoustic guitars and some orchestral passages. Lyrically the band is all about death, sorrow, emptiness, and well you know what to expect in these types of bands, don’t you? Heck, they even have a naked chick on the cover, which brings to mind My Dying Bride’s debut album.

Regardless of the blatant similarities Necare is one dynamic act especially bearing in mind only two people are involved in the writing process. Although I first picked this album up six years ago when it was released I have to admit I haven't given it nearly as much attention as it truly deserves. The band’s got a very dark eerie atmosphere going for them via the keyboards, the slow crushing riffs and occasional orchestral elements are full of melancholy and the vocals deliver the anger rather pleasingly. To be forthright with you just about every song is exceptional especially the piano solo in the middle of, ‘Desire,' which is full of atmosphere and sorrowfulness, which immediately makes it a favorite of mine. While the thirteen minute doom metal masterpiece, ‘Celia’ is probably my overall favorite. Celia is a rather poky song with lots of beautiful ambient parts and slow doom metal mixed together superbly.

Taken as a whole this duo certainly hasn’t broken the walls of the genre down with waves of originality by any means, then again they’ve taken all the best characteristics of doom metal and put together one very agreeable album.

Unfortunately, Necare released this one and only album and called it quits and it seems neither member has gone onto other projects/bands either. A shame, these guys had serious potential. If you enjoy bands like My Dying Bride, Anathema, Swallow the Sun, etc., there’s probably a good chance you’ll enjoy, ‘Ruin.’