It’s the weekend! What better way to get it started than with the latest installment of “Funeral Doom Fridays”. This weekly column looks to shed some light onto some of the darkest, most depressing, and discordant metal out there. Funeral Doom stems from the deepest depths of death-doom and dirge music. Each week, my goal is to highlight some of the newest music or rediscover classic works from some of the earliest bands and originators such as Australia’s Mournful Congregation, United States’s Evoken, UK’s Esoteric and the Finnish Thergothon. Feel free to share your opinions and suggestions in the comments!
Bosque is a Funeral Doom outfit that hails from Vila Do Conte, Portugal. The band consists of one sole member who goes by the initials, DM. He has released a number of demos and splits as well as what is now three full-length albums over its decade-long existence. The Portuguese soloist has a bit of a different take on Funeral Doom, compared to some of today's bigger acts. DM replaces harsh or guttural sounds for crisp, clean vocals and places them in the background of his music. The approach allows more focus to be placed on the despondent guitars that can be heard on his newest full-length album, Beyond.
Beyond is a three-song LP that was released on February 1st. From the opening horns of "Calling the Rain", a wave of ambient sorrow drapes over the music. The album itself teeters between Funeral Doom and moments that are akin to drone. Beyond picks up steam throughout its duration, reaching a peak intensity roughly eight to nine minutes into album closer, "Enter". It is a slow and sorrowful build that erupts into tempestuous drums and soaring riffs that resemble more of a typical doom construct. It is an overall wonderful take on Funeral Doom from a seasoned veteran of the genre. Beyond and the rest of Bosque's works are highly recommended to someone if they are looking for some variety in their doom metal. If you are interested in purchasing the album, you may do so here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v86i45dJ2uA
