Finally, it is the weekend. What better way to start it off than with the latest installment of “Funeral Doom Friday." This weekly column looks to shed some light onto some of the darkest and heaviest metal to exist. Funeral Doom stems from the deepest depths of Death-Doom and Dirge. Much of the genre's heaviness rises from crushing emotional weight. Each week, the goal is to highlight some of the newest music in funeral and death doom and also rediscover classic works from pioneers like Mournful Congregation, Evoken, and Esoteric. Feel free to share opinions and suggestions in the comments!
This week we're going digging for demos. The column has long touted the combination of black metal and funeral doom. There have been numerous instances throughout the last year or so of this successful blend. Ethereal Shroud and Imperceptum are two that immediately come to mind. Today, another example has appeared in the form of Sweden's Gravkväde. It took a little digging to find this week's feature, but it was well worth the scavenge to discover it. The Swedish duo fuses funeral doom with depressive black metal, creating a sorrowful and, at times, heartbreaking composition.
GRAV/SORG is the band's debut demo and only contains two songs. Yet, it offers an enticing taste of what this project can yield. Over the course of about 19 minutes, the pair of musicians sways effortlessly between the two styles. One moment, Gravkväde is rolling out blast beats behind pained wails. The next moment, they are relishing in an entrancing dirge. The Swedish outfit does it very well. It has certainly piqued my interest and has me excited for what could come. Check out the demo below and also follow the band on Facebook. The demo is a free download through Bandcamp, so be sure to pick it up.
