Funeral Doom Metal and minimalism go together like Nutella and toast. As a genre of music that forces you to pay attention to the ever-so-slow subtle details, Funeral Doom is certainly not the easiest to get into. Most metalheads turn away from this niche of a niche of a genre. For those that are brave enough to approach this usually monolithic, long-form style of music, though, Slow are a great introduction. Massive swells of atmosphere, synths, and Déhà’s tempestuous roars are all commonplace throughout Abîmes I. Riffs aren’t as common as they are in other Funeral Doom acts, as Slow favors minimalism more than anything else. Slow’s previous albums, Oceans and Dantalion, were major successes in propelling this group forward among the Funeral Doom scene. As an avid enjoyer of this band, I had pretty high expectations going into this album. Was the four year wait worth it?
“Implode” wastes no time in crushing you under its hefty weight. The soundscape this song and the rest of the album evoke is one of a lone, desperate ship adrift in a stormy sea with a solitary, beleaguered sailor attempting to navigate the maelstrom until succumbing to the weight of the storm. The vocals here are monstrous, featuring some of Déhà’s best work in the last few years. One standout moment is on “Abyss”, where the line “I CRAWLED MY WAY OUT” never fails to send shivers down my spine. Guitar work is minimal compared to previous Slow albums, with the majority of instrumentation being synth, and sections of guitar solo-work that are Neoclassical-inspired, bringing a bit of tasteful wank to the atmosphere. It’s very important for albums of this style to keep the listener’s attention, because even the slightest misstep can cause disinterest or boredom, a fate which many Funeral Doom albums suffer. Not so with Abîmes I, as I cannot think of a song that drags. Pacing on this album is done quite well, as the songs flow by smoothly, and bloat is practically non-existent, a rare feat for this style. That being said, I feel like something is missing. Oceans and Dantalion were complete knockouts for me, and I’m not getting the same sense of catharsis here as I did on the previous releases. It might be a production issue with the album, as it’s not as full-sounding as Dantalion, or it might just need more time to grow to become a truly great record. This is a minor nitpick, however. For fans of the genre or Slow, it will be a welcome return late in the year. For newcomers to the genre, it’s a self-contained album that showcases all that can be good in its vastness. Perhaps one day this will become another perennial favorite of mine.
