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.
Spectral Voice – "Visions of Psychic Dismemberment"
Denver's Spectral Voice will finally release their full-length debut this October. Eroded Corridors of Unbeing marks the next step in a natural progression for one of the brightest talents emerging in death doom. The band shares members with Blood Incantation and Abysmal Dimensions. The members at the center of these bands and Spectral Voice simply get how death and doom metal should be done and they do it fucking well. The new 13-minute, slow-burning track, "Visions of Psychic Dismemberment" is proof enough of their pedigree. The quartet brings together elements of Finnish death metal and funeral doom in an unparalleled way; like Abhorrence and disEMBOWELMENT dragged together into the abyss.
The track premiered on the latest Dark Descent Records New Release Sampler that arrived about two weeks ago. There is a lot of great music on the sampler in addition to new Spectral Voice. Make sure to check it out. Stream "Visions of Psychic Dismemberment" below and pre-order any format of Eroded Corridors of Unbeing from Dark Descent Records now.
Disjecta Membrae – "De Exorcismis et Suplicationibus Quibusdam – Liber I"
Going across the pond for the next track; France's Disjecta Membrae is a solo endeavor ran by Asmael LeBouc. He certainly is no stranger to this column. Funeral Doom Friday previously featured another one of LeBouc's projects, named Funeralium. Immediately, those who are familiar with them can draw comparisons between these two projects. Asmael's hisses and wails find their way into both efforts, however, Disjecta Membrae turns these vocals into a swirling vortex that swallows everything. Much of the instrumentation, as a result, is kept to a minimum. That concept, coupled with the haunting soundbite that opens the track, makes for an incredibly unsettling listen.
It is important to note though, this "new" work from Disjecta Membrae actually predates Asmael's most recent work in Funeralium. Asmael joined Funeralium back in 2007 around the time he began on his solo endeavor. After originally being recorded in 2009, De Exorcismis et Suplicationibus Quibusdam will slowly begin to see the light of day (and maybe consequently black out the sun). Stay tuned as more appears and stream the first part below.
