Funeral

Mother of Graves – Where the Shadows Adorn Review

Mother of Graves – Where the Shadows Adorn Review

“As autumn attempts to blow its crisp, leaf-scented breeze through the still-humid, still-swamp-assy climes of Northeastern Florida, I can’t help but reach for my own aural equivalent of a pumpkin spice latte, a sound so comfortable that it’s akin to slipping on a well-worn hoodie that’s seen better days. Kiddos, it’s time to revisit the sounds of early 90s doom/death. I’m talking about reminiscing of days both Brave and Murderous, of paradise being lost, and of flowers withering.” Old dooms.

Mournful Congregation – The Exuviae of Gods – Part I Review

Mournful Congregation – The Exuviae of Gods – Part I Review

“Every now and then, while minding my little ol’ business as I knock shit off my dresser like a good cat, the random thought of “Hey, whatever happened to such-and-such band” will pop into my furry cranium and, like clockwork, that band will release something new almost immediately afterward. In this case, said band is Australian funeral powerhouse Mournful Congregation, a band that doesn’t always drop new things at a constant rate, but when they do drop those new things, they’re always heavy, reflective, and… well, mournful.” Short mourning.

Funeral – Praesentialis in Aeternum Review

Funeral – Praesentialis in Aeternum Review

“December is the month where my favorite beers and coffee beverages make their welcome reappearance, and all is right with the world once more. Also making their welcome reappearance? Long-dormant Norwegian doom legends, Funeral. When we last heard from them, it was 2012’s Oratorium, but with a new label and members, how does Praesentialis in Aeternum stack up against their legendary classics?” Funeral for Christmas.

Ember Sun – On Earth and Heaven Review

Ember Sun – On Earth and Heaven Review

“Here at Angry Metal Guy and His Amazing Super-Friends, we’ve all seen our fair share of one-person black metal. Seemingly every January, they all come out of their cocoons, sprout wings, and greet us all en-masse like the loveliest and most rewarding of locust swarms. But one-person funeral doom? Now that’s a treasured rarity, and not something that makes its presence known or felt all that often, if ever. And yet Lorthar, former guitarist for Greek black metallers Order of the Ebon Hand, felt that his prior band didn’t quite satisfy his needs, so he ventured off on his own to form Ember Sun, handling all duties and offering us On Earth and Heaven. Enter sad man.

Skepticism – Companion Review

Skepticism – Companion Review

“Autumn brings about a slow but captivating decay of leaves turning colors and dying, falling to the ground in a beautiful, somber reminder that life can change in a matter of years to a matter of seconds. So, with the passing of the seasons, now is a great time to pour a glass of your favorite spirit, sit in front of a fire, and partake in Companion, the sixth full-length by legendary Finnish funeral merchants, Skepticism.” Of doom and ice.

Yer Metal Is Olde: Morgion – Solinari

Yer Metal Is Olde: Morgion – Solinari

“Let’s face it, peeps; 1999 sucked for metal as a collective whole. Nü-metal sank its black-nail-polished talons into our favorite genre, with heroes trading speed and heft for JNCOs and wildly-colored dreadlocks while jumpingdafuckup over a DJ and 7-string guitars. And doom? Well, Anathema started their shift from doom metal darlings to prog rock just a year prior with Alternative 4. Paradise Lost dabbled with da Mode with One Second but went Full Gahan on Host. And My Dying Bride were roughly 34.788% themselves before righting the ship with The Light at the End of the World.” Wow, what the hell happened?

Abyssic – High the Memory Review

Abyssic – High the Memory Review

“Metal, as a rule, is an exercise in excess. Of the ‘popular’ musical styles, it’s the loudest, the heaviest, the angriest, the most extreme. Thematically, topics of death and darkness are presented with superlative hyperbole. For non-fans, it’s all about as subtle as a volcanic explosion. We, of course, know better. Within each metal sub-genre, bands fall on a relative spectrum ranging from ‘tastefully restrained’ to ‘over-indulgent like, whoa.’ But what does the latter look like when the sub-genre is already known for being the -est? Say, funeral doom? It looks something like Norway-based Abyssic’s second full-length, High the Memory.” The duck confit of doom.

Fórn – Rites of Despair Review

Fórn – Rites of Despair Review

“Fórn: an Icelandic word which translates to “sacrifice.” This seems an appropriate name for a heavy metal band, with its reference to one of the most brutal metal nations, connotations of loss and quasi-religious overtones. Despite their name, Fórn are an American five-piece act operating primarily out of Boston.” Fórn addiction.

Sektarism – La Mort de L’Infidele Review

Sektarism – La Mort de L’Infidele Review

“As anyone who knows me well enough can attest, I function in strange ways. I enjoy my iced coffee in the wintertime. In the summertime, though, when everyone is either at the beach or cruising down the highway of their choice, I prefer to shutter myself in my house, grab a beer, and listen to either Kyuss or funeral doom. Strange, I know, but there’s something to be said about taking it easy on days where it’s overly sunny and hot as balls outside. So imagine my delight when I discovered La Mort de L’Infidele by France’s Sektarism in the promo bin, just waiting for me to engage in enough summertime sadness to make Lana Del Ray blush.” There ain’t no cure for the summertime blues.

Pallbearer – Heartless Review

Pallbearer – Heartless Review

Pallbearer’s last album, the stellar Foundations of Burden, not only provided the soundtrack for the memories of broken promises and lost friendships, but also became my favorite album of this past decade. So needless to say, a lot is riding on Heartless, the third full-length from the Arkansas doom kings.” When expectations and fanboyism meet reality.