Mournful Congregation – The Book Of Kings

Funeral doom metal is one of the most underrated genres in metal music, even if it started from the early ’90s. If someone is annoyed from the label “funeral”, then he must know that the name comes from the funeral dirge music, which surrounds doom metal, so because of the music’s evolution, new names are needed to be found. One of the best and earliest bands of this genre is Mournful Congregation. The Australian pioneers have recently released their fourth full-length album named “The Book of Kings”.

Like I said, funeral doom metal is difficult to listen, despite the beautiful orchestrations and attitude. But it’s not difficult to find music diamonds in this genre, and “The Book Of Kings” is surely one of these. With this release we have two facts. Fact 1: An 18 year long career, fact 2: A very good and honorable past due to the three previous albums. Mathematically correct, it is natural for “The Book Of Kings” to be the most mature album of the band. This is my opinion, because from the first listening, the album left me a taste of their previous albums “The Monad Of Creation” and “The June Frost” combined, but also. a predisposition for something more specialized.

The album starts with the plaintive “The Catechism Of Depression”. The outset with the heavily distorted and slow melody and the deep growls make it a classic Mournful Congregation song and the usage of drums there, is long enough for adding extra mass to the song. Also, some unworldly backing vocals, whispers and ambient or classic guitar melodies create an ascendant and dreamlike atmosphere. In the long duration of the song, it is clear that the melodies are more dominant than the heavy riffing, and I think this is a clue that the band is looking for something more melodic as it first appeared in “The June Frost”. But regardless, the result is an awesome and very beautiful song and I dare saying that it’s one of their best. Generally, “The Book Of Kings” seems as a one-piece and solid album and so the next song, “The Waterless Streams” uses the same form. Here I must point out the perfect intro that continues the album’s depression and the catchy solo and melodies of the electric guitar.

It is difficult, at least for me, to believe that Mournful Congregation, had a great release once again. The truth is I didn’t expect something a bit better than “The June Frost”, though the band is looking for something more atmospheric. “The Bitter Veils Of Solemnity” proves that. The whole song is written on classic guitar and the vocals are just whispers and chants. Even it is not a usual funeral doom track, you can easily catch the catatonic and dark attitude of this genre. At the end there is another of my personal favorite songs of Mournful Congregation. The fact that it lasts around half an hour can disincline someone to listen it. But it really is one of the band’s greatest songs. The title song, “The Book Of Kings” has very awesome guitar melodies, slow but smashing drums, the usual funeral growls of Damon Good and an ending like ecclesiastical music. I, also, should mention the freaking good solos, one at the beginning, that has all the bitterness feeling that the band can give, an other solo in the middle and a third at the end of the song. The breakdowns with arpegio and ambient melodies somehow separates the song, and does not make it boring. Please people, we’re talking about funeral doom metal. The songs have long durations and their purpose is to transmit mournful feelings. All the “parts” start with different slow and excruciating doom riffs and this is the greatness of the title song. On the whole song the band expresses only sad attitude. Thirty minutes of pain, thirty minutes of grief.

Certainly, “The Book Of Kings” is one of the best albums for 2011, full of feelings, atmospheric and absolutely magnificent. Just a super metal year. The whole structure can be characterized as beautifully depressed. The band did it again, a presentation of great funeral atmosphere. “The Book Of Kings” is more like “The Music Of Kings”. I don’t know what would be the next step of the band, I know that right now, they are one of the best in this genre, and hoping to see Mournful Congregation one day, is an absolute success for a band which comes from a country that doesn’t export good metal bands very often.