I had only just managed to get to this one around the release date but had been eyeing it up for a while liking the sound of the scant description of it being “Extreme Funeral DOOM metal inspired by filth, scum and everything dirty-related.” Noticing that the unknown band were not listed on Metal Archives and giving it a spin I was immediately impressed with just how formidable it sounded and how the description was not overstated in the slightest. It was reminiscent of a fair amount of music within the genre but it was pretty harrowing in its extremity taking it a step above most peers and not giving much in the way of respite over its 45 minute or so running time. Finding the band’s official site everything dropped into place and made sense. I am not sure what the collective term is for a group of funeral doom musicians is but that’s what we have here. Getting Wasted are no less than Laurent (Mourning Dawn, Inborn Suffering, Funeralium) joining up with David (Sordide), Kostas (Pantheist), Nadine (Ashtar) & Fred and Julien (Ataraxie, Funeralium). Now that’s one hell of a cast list, all that’s missing in my book is possibly Greg of Esoteric but he’s one busy chap and can be excused.
Although divided into 7 parts the music flows continuously without pause, giving in essence one long track. At first guitars take form and eerie atmospheres build up, tension mounts and then everything drops in with a hefty but naturally slow wallop. Slow for sure but leaden and heavy as anything, notes are elongated, guitars swirl, drums pound and guttural and beastly roars disrupt the musical firmament. It’s instantly engrossing and you are palpably sweating along with it wondering just how things are going to develop. The combined weight and effort of the players form things in their own time and it’s incredibly well composed as things are layered slowly up and constructed. These are not workers who want to get the job done fast but want to wring everything they can get out of it. A guitar riff unravels and gets sole attention for a moment before the crush drops back in, it sounds like there are a couple involved vocally and the roars and growls are indignant and full of anger, with that guitar melody coating things in the background. I can hear words being formed and wonder what they are singing about. It can’t be pleasant in the slightest and for some reason the quote “I believe in death, destruction, chaos, filth” springs to mind. It would be a perfect soundbyte for what we are listening to.
There are slight bridges between the movements, the drums get the main impetus on one and at another point there are strange noises that sound like flames crackling and bones being snapped as though the earth itself is being scorched by fiery breath. Despite the heft and nasty feel of everything here the monotonous main frame is quite calming and it mesmerises with its intensity. The sense of danger never goes away though and you are caught between two worlds, numbness and pain. Things do get more intense and there is a touch of death-doom to be found as everything progresses, just enough to jolt the listener back into life like an electric shock and have everything coursing through the veins with an added urgency. Tempering everything into a shaking quaking mass, drums like hammer pounds to the skull we float off into the void and silence descends living ears ringing and brains stewed.
If you like funeral doom in any shape or form this is pretty much essential. The question remains is it a one off, I guess time will tell with that but if it is Wastes have left a crater like impression.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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