Subtlety is not the name of the game here in the world of HellLight – at least as far as the sign posts to their musical tastes go. Their former label was Ancient Dreams (with me so far?) and the name of the first album in this two disc package is Funeral Doom (am I making this too easy?). I could probably write this review without actually listening to the CD but I did and I can tell you that anyone who has a passing interest with the former title (for the uninitiated, Ancient Dreams by Candlemass) and the burgeoning sub-genre Funeral Doom will be in for a real treat.

Prepare for lyrics filled with the aimless despair of mortal existence. No opportunity to use slow, trance-inducing repetition shall pass unheeded. And all fist-clenchingly mournful solos shall be welcome in the misty unknown that lies herein. This latest double album release is a re-issue of the 2008 original Funeral Doom, their second full length, twinned with last year’s EP The Light That Brought Darkness – the eponymous track being the only original on the compilation of covers. Both title tracks are highlights and together count for about 28 minutes, alone making this worth a look. The contrast between the two also perhaps illustrates how HellLight (three ‘L’s in a row – come on guys) have evolved over the past four or five years.
Funeral Doom itself is a more funereal affair with more grim, bass-heavy doom. By the time we get to The Light…. the grimness remains but within the monstrous, toiling riffs the band allow a little more light to break onto the blackened plains making the final euphoric state just that little bit more euphoric. The EP’s cover songs also feature some enticing tracks ranging fromDanzig(How The Gods Kill), Black Sabbath (Heaven and Hell) and Bathory (Man Of Iron) and others that try to push the envelope a bit more, including those by Pink Floyd and Queen. By this point you could almost forget you’re listening to an extreme metal band. The vocals get cleaner and the reproductions get that little bit more faithful – perhaps the boys are resurrecting a few teenage tennis racket-holding fantasies. And to be honest the guitar work is the star of the show here and the covers, although perfectly enjoyable, are not really their place to shine. With another two albums already released beyond this and the recent signing to Solitude Productions, who released this double opus, the good news is that there will be more to chew on for those that want it.

(7.5/10 Reverend Darkstanley)

http://www.helllight-doom.com/