Style: Funeral Doom (harsh vocals)
Review by: Jonah
Country: Belgium
Release date: 14-09-2018
NOTE: This album was originally included in the September 2018 issue of The Progressive Subway
I’ve always found reviewing Funeral Doom to be somewhat difficult, because it requires such a serious personal time investment to really dig into. The songs are really damn long, and they take a really damn long time to get to anything engaging. But that’s kind of the point, so I can’t dock an album for a genre convention that I have an actual appreciation for. So instead, I sit here and listen to the song crawl along at 5 BPM (I exaggerate, but damn this is a slow album) and enjoy the enormously heavy riffs and suffocating atmosphere, of which this Pantheist album has in spades.
The vocals are a mixed bag. The harshes are enormous and wonderful, filling the space with a harsh wall of sound that complements the mournful riffage perfectly. The cleans are serviceable, but not nearly as strong, often feeling a little unnecessary beside the marvelous harsh vocals. The guitars are exactly what one might expect from a Funeral Doom band, they’re slow, riffy, chunky, and generally very pleasant. The biggest surprise for me on this album was the drumming, as throughout the album on very brief occasions the drummer shifts from the usual Funeral Doom “drum slow as hell” strategy to throw in little drum fills that always put a smile on my face, as they’re a lot of fun to find scattered throughout the doldrums that make up the rest of the album. Also there’s a lot of organs, and they’re pretty good.
I don’t have a lot to say about this album honestly. But, if you’re a fan of funeral doom, or are looking to test out the genre, I’d suggest you give this one a spin, as it’s pretty enjoyable. I don’t see myself listening to it months from now, but for now I’ve enjoyed the wall of melancholy to be found here.
Recommended tracks: 1453: An Empire Crumbles, Emergence
Recommended for fans of: Mournful Congregation, Skepticism, Shape of Despair
Final verdict: 7/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Label: Independent
Pantheist is:
– Kostas Panagiotou (vocals, keyboards)
– Frank Allain (guitars)
– Dan (drums)
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