November is Doom- Fvnerals : "Let the Earth Be Silent"

 This German band's 2014 album "The Light" was the last time we reviewed, them so it is way past time to check in on them again as they have made sonic progress. The opening track to their new album offers more of a doom-tinged punch. The chant of Tiffany's haunting vocals offers a chilling counterpoint to what is going down here. The second song "Descent' dives into a more dissonant darkness. The drone is thicker and more downtrodden. The drums offer a minimal pulse. It focuses more on the dismal sound and less on crafting songs. Which is effective in making an impression, just not a song with a great deal of replay value. 

There is a more oppressive tone to the lingering pound of  "For Horror Eats the Light". The spacious manner the other sounds rings out give the vocals more room to take the spotlight with their murky melody.  Once again mood overpowers the movement of the song. The chords that do rumble down on things are gradually adding to the depressive lingering tones. Ambiance is laid on in thick slabs of sound. The first moment that gives me pause is how "Annihilation" just kind of drips from the previous song, leaving me with no clear indication that we hade moved on until I glanced at the computer screen. This tells me that their songs have a rather uniform shade of gray about them. Though I might prefer the heavier tone of "Annihilation" and how the cadence of the vocals shifts. 

"Rite" is more of a precussive interlude than an actual song and feels like it would have been better served as the intro to "Yearning". This song is more haunting and brooding in a manner not unlike some of Chelsea Wolfe's darker moments, but without the empahsis on the vocal to give the song a clear path. Even though it lacks this trjectory there is somethign alluring about the sounds summoned here.  The last song is more guided by the listeless flow of it's atmosphere, and bathes you in it's sound rather than drawing you into it's melodies. I will give this album an 8.5, which places it ahead of the 2014 album, this is about as close to drone or a more atmospheric as we enjoy around here.