Memento Mori - 2020
9/10
Finding a band named after an extremely boring stoner band (yeah, get at me) and discovering it wasn’t mimicking that style was a welcome surprise, especially after seeing the album art. Five years ago, the Swiss doom/death outfit Funeralopolis dropped one of the thickest and most monstrous records in that style. Titled, …Of Deceit And Utter Madness, it works as a perfect balance between that cavernous muck feeling and straightforward explosions, with an obvious hint of stonerism. To say the least, I find that to be a unique trait within this subgenre.
Giving credit where it’s due, the guitar tones and the droney tint that often comes with stoner/doom is what helps this stand out. The echo-like production allowing the powerful snares to also pop through as a compliment to the extremely dense riffing was also a fantastic touch. These tactics tend to make their presence in the slower, drawn-out parts that squeeze out more focus on rhythm, often preceding faster and chaotic outbursts that revert back to the horrific element that surrounds everything. Most importantly, it’s all pulled off in under forty minutes, hitting the sweet spot without needing to lay on fifty-five minutes of unwanted meandering.
Perhaps some of my favorite moments in …Of Deceit And Utter Madness are the buzzsaw riffs that take the forefront with a repetitive arc (in a good way), as they never overstay their welcome. “House Of West” even pulls off a droning cool-off before letting in a bass lick paired with doomy leads, before breaking into another pummeling wall of death metal battery. Grating tones that up the ante add weight to the already established buzz, unfolding beautifully on the following “Witchcraft Horror,” especially when the drums just reign relentlessly on the latter part of the song. Things reach a boiling point in the burning pit of “The Envenomed King,” reaching critical mass in an avalanche of riffs and shrieking vocals, collapsing into relentless death metal fervor.
Funeralopolis doesn’t do anything that hasn’t been done before, but I don’t think I’ve ever found a band that knows how to balance these specific ingredients so well. They let on a touch of the stoner influence without allowing proverbial smoke to overwhelm and consume the vibe. The pacing feels natural at every moment, the changes in delivery swing in at just the right times, and an overall horrifying vibe is achieved through otherwise basic playing. Not a technical record, but one that rivals many of that type.
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