Time to lay the dead to rest and what better way to do it than via the medium of Finnish Funeral Doom? Doing the graveside duties here we have a true apostle of the scene, Mikko Lehto whose name should be recognisable as the artist behind October Falls. Sharing rites with him is Mika Havumäki and between them under this guise they have previously independently released one album, Iconoclast back in 2016.

As one would expect we have just 4 sprawling tracks here with an average 10-minute running time. The album is just the right length, any more would be a bit overbearing but the players reign things in here whilst keeping the atmosphere solemn and respectful as the genre demands. ‘Anathema’ opens with a mighty roar and weeping guitar lines; the latter keep up with melodious intent throughout the album and allow yourself to really immerse yourselves in the entwining melody. Roars are at first somewhat morose in the background, there is a feeling of wretchedness and despair about them which as this journey continues elongates into disgust and effrontery. The track title here may well draw you towards the UK’s well known holy trinity, although the ponderous nature of the music is more in line with the abject sorrow conveyed by My Dying Bride than the actual subject title.

The essence of this combines varied facets of doom, from atmospheric to traditional albeit with no clean vocals lines as well as the funeral side of things. The pace is pretty consistent and slow, there is nothing really in the way of deathly gallops here and indeed after the first 15-minute opener the rest of the tracks run into each other without a massive amount of diversification. This would at times be a criticism but over repeated listens that is not the case here. Indeed, the listener is really able to indulge themselves over the whole morose experience and soak up the misery within its depths. There are occasional glimpses of sunlight breaking through the sky as clouds shift and these are portrayed by some acoustic guitar parts as well as the tolling of bells. It feels like there is poeticism at lyrical heart but the CD artwork has blurred them, perhaps on purpose making them near impossible to interpret.

Well of course this is not the happiest of listening experiences but its harmonies are rather delicious and beautiful, lingering a while after conclusion having enveloped like a burial shroud. Sometimes this is a style that you do feel like a bit of a martyr indulging yourself in its depths but Burial Choir have made this a painless Communion and one ultimately worth bowing in reverence to.

(7.5/10 Pete Woods)

https://www.facebook.com/burialchoir

https://fallentemple.bandcamp.com/album/the-eucharist-of-martyrs