Title: Act III: Bitterness
Artiste: Funeris
Year 2015
Nationality: Argentinian
Rank:Novice
Genre: Funeral Doom Metal
3
Expectations: When I tried to explore funeral doom metal for Metal Month III, I was quickly turned off by not only the crushingly slow pace (which I could deal with) but the lack of variety and interest in the vocals, which seemed to consist of long-drawn out moans and howls with no real discernible words. Funeris, on the other hand, really impressed me, and maybe I just listened to the wrong band. Either way, I'm hoping this will live up to the promise of
Funereal Symphonies, though I will allow this is their second album in the same year, and so will cut them some slack if it isn't quite another masterpiece of funeral doom.
1. Flor de mi miseria: There's no confusion as to this being doom metal anyway, with big heavy ponderous drums and crushing guitar riffs moving at a snail's pace as we open. In case you weren't aware, Funeris is a one-man-band, with everything played and sung by Alejandro Sabransky, which only ups my praise for his outfit, which really he manages to make sound like a full band. (It's a complete coincidence, by the way, that this and the next album to be reviewed are both metal bands with one member). There's something unutterably grand and majestic about his music, even if I can't understand a word he's growling, sorry singing; can't even tell if it's in English. But as I found out this year, doom and funeral doom in particular is more about weaving a tapestry of feelings and emotions, creating an ambience and atmosphere than it is about creating individual songs. This is music you just get lost in, drown in, and may find it hard to make your way back out of, if you want to.
2. Muerte lenta del destino: Some beautiful, lonely violin and cello starts this one off, and it's another long one (the previous track ran for over eleven minutes, this one goes for just under ten), crawling of course but with that same stately sense of reverence, almost like a funeral itself, which is I suppose the point. Batty used to talk about riffs crushing him, and I never quite understood what he meant, or how that could be good. Since listening to Funeris, I totally get it. This music just pounds you into the earth, and you want more and more. Actually slightly speeding up here on the guitar, more a gentle canter than a power metal gallop or anything, but still an increase in tempo, if only very little. A real moment of relief, as it were, as the heavy feedback, percussion and bass all fall away in the fourth minute to allow some very reflective guitar to take the tune, though for less than a minute before the full ensemble at Sabransky's command comes back in, taking with it some more violin, which again helps to somewhat lighten the heavier vibe.
3. Pax aeterna: This is the only instrumental on the album, though with the dark, indecipherable vocals it kind of doesn't make a difference really. It's also well the shortest track, at just over four and a half minutes. There's an almost power metal guitar (though much much slower of course) and moaning violin to open, slow, measured drumming accompanying the melody like a slave driver beating out the rhythm or the lead mourner at a funeral striding purposefully and determinedly along, head down, eyes looking neither to left nor right. There's an almost anthemic feel to it, with a sense of the celtic too.
4. Falling through depths: I'm not quite sure why half the tracks are in Spanish and the rest in English, but I'm sure Alejandro knows what he's doing. Totally crushing slow riffs, vestiges of keyboard work behind them, maybe the odd violin but mostly it's powerful, brutal guitar and growls that sound like they come up from the very pit of Hell itself. Does indeed give you the feeling of falling into a bottomless well or something.
5. Time is a gallows: The longest track on the album at just shy of thirteen minutes and opens with a surprisingly light and upbeat guitar, though of course that doesn't last as the standard heavy guitar punches it aside. It can still be heard in the background, doggedly trying to bring a ray of sunshine into this dark domain, but it's doomed from the beginning. As we reach the halfway point though, things do calm a little and we even get soft synth and quite spectacular piano, all percussion now faded out. This continues for about a minute before it all crashes back again for the big heavy ending.
6. Pax aeterna (String ensemble version): I know I don't normally go for bonus tracks, remixes or alternate versions, but this sounds like it could be worth listening to. And after all, there are only six tracks here, so who's it gonna hurt? I enjoyed the instrumental on track three, interested to see how he orchestrates it up here. Will it change a Green to a Blue? Yes. Yes it does. Beautiful.
Final result: To create one almost perfect album a year is something else. To get out two such opuses is incredible. To do it entirely on your own is nothing short of phenomenal. Really, either of the last two albums could be on my AOTY list, and it's hard to choose between them, but since my first exposure to this guy was on
Funeral Symphonies, the effect that had on me gives that album the edge, so it'll be going on my list. But if there weren't so many other albums I wanted to honour by including them, this could be on it as well. Superb stuff.
Rating: 
