In Australia The Slow Death occurs as a result of listening to funeral doom. Many who practice this dangerous rite wander off into the outback never to be seen or heard of again. Indeed, there is reputedly an elephant’s graveyard as such hidden away, withered and leathered by the sun corpses in a state of preservation, headphones melting into their skin, the sombre slow plod of the music the last thing that echoes around this mournful place. Those who do not succumb to the heat are laid in siege by the waiting predatory and venomous creatures so prolific in this place, with funeral doom as the soundtrack they have no chance of escaping, stunned as it were by the slow tones of the music, speed and flight simply not an option.

Of course, I am just being silly and going about things in a long-winded way rather than just saying The Slow Death are essentially a funeral doom band from down under, containing no less than three members of Illimitable Dolor in their ranks as well as players from Horrisonous and a drummer from the more blackened likes of Nazxul, Pestilential Shadows, & Temple Nightside. First glance tells you a lot of what you would expect from this, there are 4 lengthy sermons stretching up to the 20-minute mark here and you can expect to be in for the long haul when you press play to the group’s 4th full length and 1st for Transcending Obscurity here.

It’s not all to be taken for granted though as The Slow Death have a bit of a secret weapon in the form of vocalist and keyboard player Mandy Andresen. The observant among you may well recognise that name as among other credits, she provided the voice for the excellent Murkrat, whose albums like ‘Drudging The Mire’ completely impressed when they arrived via Aesthetic Death. Here she does somewhat lighten the load with her gorgeous voice and takes songs like the epic opener ‘Tyranny’ into otherwise uncharted dimensions. Naturally there is some low growling beast like vocals as well supplied by ex-Oracle Of The Void man Gamaliel but the emphasis around swirling organ motifs and sermon like solemn doom instrumentation is Mandy’s entrancing voice. There are long periods without either, allowing the musicians to slowly trap the listener in their ponderous vice-like grip and listening to this that wandering into the outback doesn’t seem quite so preposterous an idea. Indeed, the placatory siren call from Mandy practically commands it.

Behind the album there is a theme of the biblical and apocryphal as following Tyranny we have Famine and Pestilence. There’s not a huge point getting bogged down in every musical nuance here but after starving you with gorgeous near shoe-gaze tendencies the former is the song (that even at 14-minutes) has the most immediate presence about it courtesy of a descent into doom-death galloping pace; the contrast between stylistic shifts excellently handled. The latter has some spacey keyboards calling out a bit like Gabriel’s trumpet summoning Judgement Day. Be assured this is no fast scourge destroying everything in its path. The classic doom sound broken up by a surprising piano canter and light dreamy vocal patch, just when you least expect it. Never has a slow death lingered for quite so long and been this exquisite.

This really is quite a gentle album in places and one to drift off and lose yourself within its depths. As final track ‘Ascent Of The Flames’ flickers it feels like time has stood still rather than just over an hour has passed by and I am surprised to find myself feeling calm and relaxed. I’m just not sure how I find myself soaking up the sun in the arid desert without any water to quench my parched lips, but frankly for the moment I simply don’t care and am going to lie down a press play again….

(8/10 Pete Woods)

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https://theslowdeathband.bandcamp.com/album/siege-atmospheric-death-doom-metal