"dissolution..." opens the album. it's a very enclosing song; the tortured echoing vocals, haunting guitar and sluggish drumming all meld together to whisk you away into another dimension.
"unmasker of the absurd" follows with an eerie, disturbing guitar riff that clashes, in a good way, with other notes (other guitar parts) being played. the vocals snarl at you from the darkness which makes this song a bit claustrophobic and the intensity and precision of the drumming traps you even more so. there are moments when you can catch your breath but it's soon viciously stolen from you again.
the vocal grabs you at the very start of "my hearse immortal". the guitar isn't as cleanly played for much of this song; it's more of a cacophony and if possible at times the drumming seems that bit slower! but the kick drum pulsates through the song. the monster calms for the second half of the song as the guitar echoes around itself; the song finishes enclosing you once again.
"the still" is the shortest song by far and something of an enigma. it's a very calming song and seems almost out of place. it is, for the most part, an instrumental, not quite delicate - the notes feel a little heavy handed - it's an odd addition to the album.
"...into the empty maw of universe" is the longest song and closes out the five track album. this song seems quite immense almost like there is a subtle underlying song almost hidden away and in the way the guitar plays off the piano in the quieter moments. the vocal is as angry and snarling as ever and seems to get angrier as the song reaches its seething almost unexpected climax; the drums are sedate but there's nothing relaxed about it.
overall this is an immense, immersive album that encloses you within its dark walls. the vocals sound like an angry awoken monster, the guitar sounds violent and has a unique tonality and is technically proficient, there are subtle hints of a bassline and the drumming is punishingly slow. there are so many layers to contemplate and you may well hear some subtle patterns that you never heard before with each listen. the artwork is superb; menacing tibetan (?) statues that has a nice (sepia?) tint to it with no obstructing band logo or album title. this is a mighty, claustrophobic listening experience; it's darkly atmospheric, disturbing and ominously haunting. not everyone will enjoy the slow tempo it has but i really did; a masterful release...highly recommended.
Source - Funereal Drone