Being able to feel morbidity and dark elegance pouring out of your headphones or speakers can be a cathartic event. Even the brightest people have their dark times, and for many of us, the pain and torment of existence is a common theme, something nearly impossible to shake. Losing yourself in music that feels the same way is like a form of therapy.
Chilean death/doom force Mourners Lament make it very easy to fall into the depths of madness and mourning on their excellent second album “A Grey Farewell,” the band’s first since their 2016 debut LP “We All Be Given.” This six-track, 65-minute behemoth conjures feelings from three decades ago and some of the pioneering bands of this sound, yet what Mourners Lament commit to record is something that’s a spirit their own. These songs are heavy both sonically and emotionally as the band—vocalist Alfredo Pérez, guitarist Marcos Contreras, bassist Franco Ciaffaroni, keyboard player Matias Aguirre, drummer Rodrigo Figueroa—shares generously the tumult inside of them that could mirror our own. It’s perfect music to hear when we’re in our own doldrums, seeking a like-minded force that has seen the same chaos and identified each step of the suffering process.
“Towards Abandonment” is the 10:58-long opener, feeling hazy and somber, keys zapping and gusting winds leading the way for the spreading growls. Keys drip as speaking rains down into the murk, the playing bursting as the growls get deadlier, doom fires stoked as the guitars lather. Synth bubbles as the storm closes in, the singing layering as everything succumbs to grimness. “Changes” is the longest track here, a 13:27 monster that slips in with warm guitars and welling keys, growls mixing in as the raw fury expands. The path settles into a fog as cold and dreariness rise, harsh howls sending ripples through serenity, punches landing later as the growls gut. Speaking crawls over icy guitars, eventually disappearing into the shadows. “Ocaso” basks in synth weariness, the speaking hypnotizing as the growls settle in, slithering through strange worlds. The keys get more intense, the elegance spreading as a huge gust loosens rock, dissolving into the night.
“The Clear Distance” runs a healthy 12:29, growls gutting early on, the punchy pace starting to add bruising. The playing shimmers as the force travels through mysterious skies, the guitars lathering as the growls engorge, synth layers increasing their hold. Howls mash as the gothy atmosphere thickens, bleeding before boiling over. “In a White Room” enters as keys glow, and the playing moves slowly, the growls bubbling to the surface as darkness reigns. The speaking again haunts, and the power increases, blistering with force and trudging as the vocals maul. Keys cascade as the messages haunt, the grief melting into closer “Mass Eulogy” that feel glorious and calming when it starts. The playing crushes as the guitars lap fire, the sadness spreading liberally, tangling and stomping before a new eruption adds scathing cries. Synth layers slip under dark waters, the drama suddenly hitting an uptick, bleeding out into echoes.
Mourners Lament sink so deep into death/doom territory, that you can’t help but be moved by their commitment on the darkly immersive “A Grey Farewell.” This is a record that’ll feel right at home in the colder months, when chilling rains and darker skies return, and we shiver the find some solace from the temperatures. But that shouldn’t stop you from indulging now, as this record is a massive, somber adventure that requires your body and mind to adapt and sink into the darkest reaches of your mind along with the band.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077878803847
To buy the album, go here: https://personal-records.bandcamp.com/album/a-grey-farewell
For more on the label, go here: https://www.personal-records.com/
Meat Mead Metal 