What if Swans, the magnificent dark rock band, had played metal? Would it have treaded the same murky waters as The Knell does? Most likely it would; the mutual seam lies somewhere in the amalgam of dark romanticism and the horror emanating from both bands, with each and every moment. There are many rock bands out there, but there's only one Swans; and the same goes for The Knell. The doom/death meets funeral doom fusion allows the band to flirt with subtle melodies -- some buried beneath the megalithic wall of sound, some more pronounced. This is what upgrades The Knell from just another death metal band who plays really, really slow, to an entity whose musical plot is as exquisite as it is brute; as celestial as it is hellish; uplifting and crushing on the same breath. That said, precisely those who are already tired of the uninspired doom/death hybrid of today and wish to hear something unique, are encouraged to take this sonic trip through the many dichotomies offered by this excellent release.

While The Knell has been compared to many bands from the early days of doom/death metal hybrids, the band really has a unique feeling to their music. Harm is a very eerie and melancholy release, distorted in the mind of several manic depressive Israeli musicians. The music is immensely slow and moderately crushing. While the music doesn't reach the point of Funeral Doom, they certainly give the rather new subgenre a close brushing and continue to find their own way. It should be noted that the band also bursts into moments of mid-paced death metal, though not like your typical death metal release. The keyboards really make the difference for me on Harm. Without the creepy nature that keyboardist Ernst Elzas puts out, The Knell would perhaps sound like just what several people have implied; a clone of earlier doom/death hybrids. This is just good old fashioned doom metal with a unique twist. Kick back, turn down the lights, and doom out!

When the piano opens the debut of the Israeli doom band The Knell, you cannot but think to compare it to My Dying Bride. However, it brushes against MDB's style, because there are some actual differences. There are no violins. The speed is slower and more in the funeral doom corner. Sometimes the songs do accelerate to higher speeds but that is rare. The song structure builds something from nothing and it takes its time. The deep echo guitar, the keyboard that peaks around the corner once in a while and the deep grunt voice are all there.