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. Feel free to also share thoughts or suggestions for future installments in the comments section below.
From the heart of Ukraine's capital, Kiev hails the morphic doom quartet of Vin de Mia Trix. Born in 2007, the group developed into a force that is difficult to pin down with simple descriptors. They tackle many of the normal tropes of funeral doom. Yet, they manage to bring subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) flair to the formula. It is one of many reasons for the excitement surrounding their first new album in four years.
The group's second full-length album, Palimpsests, is a challenging listen. At over 90 minutes long, the task is daunting. It is a huge time investment. Yet, the rewards it yields far surpass the effort put into listening to each of the four songs. Vin de Mia Trix blends various doom metal formats as well as gothic metal and blues rock, amongst other styles, of course. Palimpsests most notably carries a strong, early Opeth (also see: good Opeth) vibe throughout its duration. Album opener, "Matarisvan", serves as a great example of this.
Also worth mentioning is the overall feeling of triumph Vin de Mia Trix possesses. Whether it be through the use of organs in "Pharmakos" or the masterful blend of clean and harsh vocals all across the album; Palimpsests presents in a victorious manner.
Palimpsests is available now digitally and as a CD through Hypnotic Dirge Records.
