By DJ Monk
Over the past two decades, Abysmal Grief have developed a reputation as the foremost exponents of the Italian gothic-doom mien, a reputation established with this, their debut standalone release, originally issued on vinyl only back in 2006 and now being made available on CD and digital formats for the first time.
Like most sub-genres within the overall heavy metal spectrum, the term “doom” can often be all encompassing and cover a multitude of individual sounds and approaches to the format: sometimes, it is dirge-like in its funerealism, at others it can be positively joyful and even light-hearted. Abysmal Grief most definitely fall into the former school, with their noirish, almost Argento-esque cinematic take, giving it (as intimated in the intro) a gothic twist that adds extra value to the aural experience and helps the band stand out as doing something different with the perceived limitations of a specific genre.
‘Mors Eleison’ blends ambient soundscapes with long, droning instrumentalizations, which in turn are sparsely interjected with touches of dense drama and senses of impending cataclysm. A scene of desolation, where the only emotion is that of despair, is the soundscape which these four tracks portray. There is no sense of a pending shard of light to rescue you from the dankness in which you find yourself wading, the mud coruscating into every fibre of your being as you are drawn and deeper into this dark picture of gloom and hopelessness.
‘Mors Eleison’ is the sort of album you listen to late at night, with the lights out, the candles flickering in the breeze generated by the last breaths of your dying soul before deciding which zombie you are going to allow to eat your rotting flesh. I think I’ll save the next listen until the annual Halloween night shenanigans here at ÜRHQ: I can think of no more appropriate soundtrack.
‘Mors Eleison’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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