Urna


Sepulcrum MMVI (CD) 2006 Aeternitas Tenebrarum Music Foundation
In recent years, Funeral Doom has done much to greatly solidify its relevance, and has slowly etched a permanent alcove within the Doom genre. It's a very safe assumption that Funeral Doom, as a legitimate style, is here to stay. That being said, it was a mere question of time before more venturesome bands began incorporating other genres, presenting traditional ideas within Funeral Doom's lugubrious context. Urna is such a band.

With 'Sepulcrum MMVI', Urna's third release, Urna serves a vile concoction of Funeral Doom, Black Metal, and generally creepy ambience. This new mutation is both unsettling and highly enjoyable. Paradoxical? Of course. Urna's output could easily be the bastard offspring of Until Death Overtakes Me and Burzum, with bits of dISEMBOWELMENT sewn snuggly into the musical framework. This marriage of genres produces highly enjoyable results.

It is nearly impossible to reduce 'Sepulcrum MMVI' into the individual songs that comprise its tracklisting, as the album's songs blend seamlessly into each other. The composition is quite fluidic, giving the listeners the impression they are listening to a single composition - a highly diverse and dynamic one. The abyssal themes that run rampant through 'Sepulcrum MMVI' will prove more than enough to hold one's attention.

'Sepulcrum MMVI' is an intensely murky affair, largely due to the reverb-drenched production values. Dark, creamy ambience washes thickly over the musical content in such a way as to permanently encase the listener's speakers in black, sticky syrup. Such is the density of 'Sepulcrum MMVI''s production. This is one of the album's greatest strengths, lending a much more convincing hint of evil than the more idiosyncratic variety typically found on Funeral Doom releases.

In need of a breath of fresh air? Has Funeral Doom grown stagnant and predictable for you? If so, I highly recommend Urna's 'Sepulcrum MMVI'. It isn't a masterpiece, but it may be just what you need to cleanse your highly refined palate.
Album Cover

1. Ab Vita Morte (In Fidei Abitus)
2. Intermezzo I
3. Fundamentum Et Factum
4. Intermezzo II
5. Mors Imperatrix Mundi MMVI
6. Postludium
7. Ego Sum
8. Sic Juvat Ire Sub Umbras MMVI
9. The Gate Of Nanna (Beherit Cover)

Approx. 64 minutes
Reviewed by: Timothy Coleman