ALBUM REVIEW: Gospel Of Bones – Funeral
FUNERAL are, perhaps unsurprisingly given their name, one of the very earliest pioneers of funeral doom metal. Formed in Norway in 1991, the band have experienced more than their fair share of lineup changes and personal tragedies during their career but have stuck resolutely to their guns in producing some of the most atmospheric and sorrowful heavy music ever.
Gospel Of Bones is only the band’s eighth full-length studio album, despite the length of time they have been together, but it is a powerful journey through the darker side of human experience and musically is perhaps the most ambitious collection the band has released to date, merging classic funeral dirge music, doom, folk and gothic to create a uniquely atmospheric record.
Given the genre they are operating in it shouldn’t come as a shock that Gospel Of Bones is a deeply melancholy album. However, having lost two band members in the 2000s to suicide and overdose you do have to wonder how founding member and drummer Anders Eek has managed to keep going at all. Undoubtedly, creating music has helped him through these difficult times and the themes of loss, anguish and despair are perhaps even more prevalent in his band’s music as a result.
Opening with the admittedly unoriginal sound of a church bell tolling, first song Too Young To Die quickly introduces the beautifully mournful violins of Ingvild Johannessen which lead us into an opening verse of downtuned power chords, mournful guitar arpeggios and slow, driving drums. The instrument that really stands out as the band kicks in though is the voice of Erik Krokfjord, a professionally trained opera singer who specialises in the works of Wagner. The combination of strings and that incredibly singular voice gives the rest of the song an epic, symphonic feel that really adds to the funereal atmosphere the band creates.
The deeply rich baritone of Krokfjord’s voice certainly means this record sounds unlike most doom albums released in recent years, although there are elements of the delivery of Aaron Stainthorpe from MY DYING BRIDE if he were to be trained to sing opera. There are moments where it works better on the album than others though. While the vocals absolutely shine on songs like Procession Of Misery and the aforementioned Too Young To Die, tracks that contain wordier lyrics can sometimes get a little muddied as the low-end of the band swallows Krokfjord’s voice, making it indistinct and less powerful.
It is certainly original and ambitious for the band to continue to explore new sounds in this way and, perhaps more than any other before it, this album really combines classic funeral doom with the sensibilities of symphonic, classical music in a way that rewards multiple listens. Even more typically metal songs such as These Rusty Nails and To Break All Hearts Of Men are still given an unusual light and shade thanks to the contrasting vocal deliveries, especially the latter song which contains the gentle, John Lennon-esque tones of guest vocalist Espen Ingierd. There are further surprises too, with some songs containing full orchestral string arrangements, while another – Ailo’s Lullaby – is entirely instrumental and played solely on a harding fiddle, a traditional Norwegian instrument, accompanied by a church pipe organ.
For a band of FUNERAL’s stature and vintage, it is hugely satisfying to hear them exploring whole new creative avenues within the genre, particularly when those avenues lead to the riches they sometimes do on Gospel Of Bones. And, while they don’t always hit those heights consistently, the dark and desolate road they travel on the way is never less than fascinating.
Rating: 7/10
Gospel Of Bones is out now via Season Of Mist.
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