There are albums that are good as strong coffee, however, I woudn’t know because I don’t like coffee. It’s a fact I’ve got to believe in what they say. As a matter of fact, “Funeral Altar Epiphanies” happens to be one of them. However, if my dear child of the night expects an album full of plot twists a lot of tempo shifts, this isn’t really your album. It’s the other way around, “Funeral Altar Epiphanies” goes very near the edge of Funeral Doom Metal road with some slants of Death Metal. On the other hand, it doesn’t mnean the album is poor or unsophisticated. Nah, it’s as intricate as it can be due to the limitations of the band’s genre.
The album is opened by an earthquake called “Subsequent Mass,” the kind of song that makes the ground shakes. First thing that impresses is the power the track passes to the fan with its wall of sound and an impression that the track is much more heavier than it really is. Vocals play an important part on this feeling because the way Simon P. Katborg does his part gives an extra dose of heavyness to the song. It’s something like vocals are a separate part of the song and instrumentals try to follow it wherever it goes. The truth is that Instrumentals vary much more than vocals in all tracks of this album which is not that usual. Well, at least with the band I’ve been heatring here for all those years. Truth is I’ve got very few of them. Temple of Scorn mix Death Metal instrumentals with Funeral Doom Metal vocals and the outcome is “Funeral Altar Epiphanies.” In fact, all these makes “Funeral Altar Epiphanies” a very monolitic one with few changes on vocals and, subsequently, on melodies as well. Ok, melodies were never the stronghold of Funeral Doom Metal nor Death Metal bands, but they do play a huge part on music.
It’s okay “Funeral Altar Epiphanies” to be an album for the ones who love these features. I have no problem with that. I’m not here to change the bands, it’s the other way around, I have to adapt myself to the bands I choose to review. That’s why Metal music is so rich and fulfilling.
Temple of Scorn “Funeral Altar Epiphanies” will be released on November 24th via Transcending Obscurity Records.
Track Listing:
- Subsequent Mass
- Burden of Decline
- Begotten by the Envenomed
- Icons of Demonic Virtues
- Portals to Dystopia
- Funeral Altar Epiphanies
- Wretched Inner Sanctum
- Burning Palace of Wisdom
Watch official music video here:
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