Funerary Dirge
abyssus abyssum invocat (Demo) 2003 None
It's kind of hard to write this review as Matt Zuchowski, the man behind Funerary Dirge, is also a friend and staff mate of mine. However, my first contact with him was actually after I first heard this demo. Nor do I have to judge this harshly in any way as I think now, just like I did when I first heard it, that it's really good music. Still, you could always find out if I'm telling the truth or not by downloading the demo. Yes, like many of Matt's projects, this demo is out for free on the web. More precisely here: http://funerarydirge.funeralart.net/funerarydirge/discog.html. I urge you to listen to them as well as reading the review. After all, one listen will tell you more than I could put into words. This odyssey of sadness begins with a minimal piano interlude. The emptiness that you experience here is just a little taste of what is to come. By the time it's done, you will feel frozen in time. And all that is needed to achieve this feeling is a drum set, a piano, a bass and some extremely low, rumbling growls. Does it sound like I'm describing Until Death Overtakes Me? Well, the ambient atmosphere and the vocals are very similar. But instead of sounding druidic, Funerary Dirge is cold and bleak. Just like those painful memories that are hidden away because you don't want to acknowledge them. For those who haven't realized it yet, I'll say it now. Fans of grooving doom like traditional and stoner doom, or fans of aggressive doom like sludge doom won't enjoy this at all. This is music only meant for those who enjoy bone chilling ambient atmospheres of utterly depressive funeral doom. Fans of Until Death Overtakes Me will find this to be their cup of tea. On the other hand, oddly enough I get bored by Until Death Overtakes Me, but this never seems to grow dull. As a final note I'd just like to say that if you enjoy this demo, then getting hold of the full length is a good idea. Not only are all three demo tracks on it, there are also two more tracks from the same chilly void.	1. Procession of Gods and Tyrants 2. Eternal, and Yours 3. The First Temptation Approx. 30 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen
Prologue: Memoria In Aeterna (CD-R) 2004 NOTHingness REcords
One of the biggest changes in the doom scene thanks to the vulgarisation of the mp3 culture and the free distribution of music was the sudden increase in the numbers of one-man studio projects. It can be argued whether the addition of such projects has actually made the genre richer and more diverse, as many of those acts seem to be the products of untalented musicians who (think they can) compensate their lack of musical inspiration with the increasing technological progress in sound recordings. There are of course exceptions to the rule and many would agree that genre defining acts like Until Death Overtakes Me and Nortt have enriched the doom metal world providing the humanity with some of the most desolate, bleak expressions of the soundtrack for the 21st century. Funerary Dirge belongs fortunately in that second category, making a musical proposition which is at the same time unique, interesting and well-thought. A slow, minimalist, desolate piano tune sets the tone for the rest of this album and -however strangely as this might sound after the last sentence- not very much happens for the rest. The piano is occasionally married to digitally distorted guitars (which sound very much like their compatriots Zaraza), highly distorted, unintelligible grunts and some serene, minimalist, almost jazzy drums. All tracks consist of monotonous, flat soundscapes devoid of dynamism or any musical textures which could save the listener from his deep state of apathy. The work has a very relaxed, laid-back vibe which reminds me slightly of the German experimental doom jazz combo Bohren und der Club of Gore. However, Funerary Dirge distinguishes itself from more jazzy acts by the fact that it aims to create a comatose musical state, a world devoid of any recognizable human emotion. To put it with UDOM's words: an absence of life. The result is not particularly dark and disturbing (at least not compared to some other extreme acts), but very much effective in its banning of all emotional expression; it sounds barely like the creation of a human mind. Fans of Until Death Overtakes Me and most ambient fans will dig this. For the metal fan, this might be the ideal album to relax to, while insomniacs will find in this the perfect cure for their sleeping disorder.	1. Procession of Gods and Tyrants 2. Eternal, and Yours 3. The First Temptation 4. Tired One 5. Gdzie Nie Ma Drzew Approx. 56 minutes
Reviewed by: Kostas Panagiotou