Mourners Lament – A Grey Farewell (Loss-Ridden Symphonic Funeral Doom)

 

I needed some deep-seated, depressive power this week. Not sure why that was, but be it as it may, here we have another Chilean masterwork to satiate that inner desire. What’s going on in Chile, I ask? I keep getting masterpieces of practically every metal genre flowing out of the country, and add to that Mourners Lament. Having heard whispers about them before, albeit very soft ones, I was quite curious to check out their upcoming full-length, A Grey Farewell. Succeeding at slower forms of doom, including the much-depressed funeral variety, is hard as hell. The slower the music becomes, the more evident any lack of abilities of the musicians casting sadness upon us. It requires great care, and a lot of familiarity with practically every aspect of the writing process; an intimate knowledge of the instruments, technique, effects, etc. This ain’t no simple game.

   

Mourners Lament excel at the symphonic type of funeral doom to an magnificent degree. A Grey Farewell is like an orchestra completely in tune with each part coming together through the central composer behind it all, in this case the vocals, which range from suffering calm to spoken word to anguished growling. But, of course, without the keyboards, which keep their level in step with the bass and guitar, the emotional quality of this one would likely be less powerful. With tracks stretching well over ten minutes for half of the album, you have a journey to experience here that will dip into all of your life’s suffering, pull it forth, and cast it before your eyes. Beautifully done.

 

Mourners Lament Official Facebook

Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls

Mourners Lament – A Grey Farewell
Personal Records
Cover Art: Lobenzo Rockart (Enzo Toledo G.)
4.6 / 5