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.
Talsur, the Russian solo endeavor who featured way back in January, very recently released new music this past week. Thank you to fellow doom fan and reader, Joseph Talarigo, for catching it! Talsur is a bit of an interesting listen. Each release focuses on a different kind of doom metal. January's feature, Slough of Despond, showcased Funeral Doom (and it was done very well.) His music has previously taken the forms of atmospheric and stoner doom. Now, his newest effort, a four-song EP entitled Offertorium, offers a new-age take on classic gothic doom.
Offertorium draws some semblance to early Paradise Lost or My Dying Bride. The very nature of this new EP's sound is a dark romanticism. While some of the instrumentation and vocals vary from that classic Peaceville era, the overall tone of this EP falls in line with death/doom of the early 90's. Talsur's stylistic shifts between each release are certainly unique. Each album presents something refreshing. Yet, this newest release (at least personally) is the Russian project's best work to date.
Listen to Offertorium below and be sure to also snag a digital copy of the EP as well. Talsur's other albums are on his Bandcamp page too.
