Finally, the weekend is upon us. What better way to kick it off than with the latest installment of "Funeral Doom Friday". For those who are new to this column; each week features a new or classic album from the realm of extreme doom. Much of funeral/death doom's might comes from an oppressive emotional weight and the use of death or black metal motifs (played at a trudging pace, of course.) Pioneers like Mournful Congregation, Evoken, and Esoteric have mastered this blend of dirge and destruction. For 25 years, they have methodically built compositions that stretch for dozens of minutes all while keeping fans enthralled. Time has elapsed since the days of Thergothon and much like the world around us, the genre has evolved. Today's modern bands contort the very construct of the genre, breeding darkly refreshing new work. Their work thankfully gives this column plenty of material to share.
Enjoy this week's post and check out prior features here. Please feel free to also share thoughts or suggestions for future installments in the comments section below or to me directly on Twitter.
It starts with a field recording of a distant thunderstorm and the all too close sounds of gurgling water. The first album for New Zealand's Justin Chorley as Enter the Soil, named That Amber Lit Morning, chronicles the events following the tragic drowning of a boy. The sounds in the beginning of "The Day the Boy Drowned" set an ominous tone for what follows. The former Hirsute man casts a monolithic riff to break up the soundscapes and consequently welcomes depressive death doom. That Amber Lit Morning's melodic, mournful qualities are its most striking features. Chorley beautifully changes between a deep growl and a crisp, clean vocal range across each of the five songs. Meanwhile, his instrumentation borders on classical, gothic doom a la Anathema or My Dying Bride. Check out the brand new album below.
Enter the Soil's debut is now available on Bandcamp, CDs are also an option for those who want a physical copy. Follow the band on Facebook as well.
