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.
The Italian duo of Assumption's name fills our marquee this week. The Palermo pair has tirelessly worked since 2011 as a project. Finally, in 2018, the band sees the release of its very first LP, Absconditus. The name itself stems from the Latin term for "hidden" or "concealed," but the band's music certainly doesn't hide. The duo crafts a roaring, funereal death doom on their new effort.
The three-song, 37-minute offering is an illustrious combination of early Peaceville-era romanticism and thunderous Finnish death/doom, a la Rippikoulu. It has moments where it is elegant or atmospheric. Then, on a dime, it changes to something merciless and fearsome. A personal favorite, "Beholder of the Asteroid Oceans Part I & II," functions as a sensational closer for the record. It brings together all of Assumption's influences and elements together into a great synopsis of their vision.
Stream Absconditus below. The new album is available today from Sentient Ruin Laboratories and Everlasting Spew Records.
