Funeralia - Where Death Is My Hope (2017)

Record label "Moscow Funeral League" made the world a little more gloomy when they tapped a new vein of darkness out in Spain - a group by the name of Funeralia. The band's first release (a "mini-album" by their own nomenclature) is titled "Where Death Is My Hope" and it features all the joy of a dead rose on a snowy grave. We're talking about gothic death/doom with classically-inspired keys and orchestration, the kind of sound that's perfect for a romantic evening in a decrepit mansion lamenting the death of a loved one. It opens with a cold, ominous wind and a chilling piano intro before blossoming into a full-bodied, churning anguish. Piano continues throughout the piece accompanied by typical metal instrumentation and symphonic stylings, creating music that's heavy enough to wreck you, but with a strong air of sophistication. On top of this, there are the dual vocals with a gorgeous mix of agonized, rumbling death growls and angelic quasi-operatic melodies (that keep getting stuck in my head) that will make you feel as though your soul is being torn between heaven and hell while your body is trapped in a state of unending despair. The dreary tone of the songs take you on a slow venture through the graveyard, with a tragic sigh and contemplation as you look over each headstone, but if the music itself doesn't sell you on sorrow, the audio clips of thunderstorms and crying that are mixed in might. This album is melancholic to the core, but definitely worth the pain. -Brandon