ITP REVIEW: WORSHIP: DOOOM

BAND: WORSHIP (Germany) GENRE: Funeral Doom                          LABEL: Solitude Productions (Russia)
RELEASE DATE: 10/19/2007
CATALOG: Last CD Before Doomsday (1999 demo)
Keep on Selling Cocaine to Angels (2000 split with AGATHOCLES)

BEST RELEASE: "DOOOM" (2007)



TRACKLISTING: WORSHIP "DOOOM":                                                                                          (BOOK ONE)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           1. Endzeit Elegy
2. All I Ever Knew Lie Dead
3. The Altar And The Choir Of The Moonkult
4. Graveyard Horizon


(BOOK TWO)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      5. Zorn A Rust-Red Scythe
6. Devided
7. Mirror Of Soul (Solitude Aeturnus cover)
8. I Am The End - Crucifixion Part II

ITP RATING: ****
PRODUCTION: ****
SONGWRITING: ****
PERFORMANCE: ****

YES, this CD title is spelled correctly, as WORSHIPS "DOOOM" has to be one of my favorite releases of 2007. That's Dooom spelled with emotion.

German funeral doom project WORSHIP have a tragic history, and a resilient band persona. Originally a two man project, original drummer MAD MAX (MAX VARNIER) committed suicide in 2000, jumping off a bridge while on vacation in Canada. Salvaging the ruins of an excellent funeral doom project are the surviving members of WORSHIP, including vocalist DOOMMONGER (Daniel Pharos).
                                                                                                                                                        "Dooom" (the follow up to WORSHIP's much sought after demo "LAST VINYL UNTIL DOOMSDAY") features material dating back to earlier this decade, with lyrical, vocal and musical contributions via MAD MAX before his death, including excellent packaging thanks to our friends at SOLITUDE PRODUCTIONS.

DOOOM is well worth the wait, despite the heartbreaking consequences. As standard in the sub genre of funeral doom, every note is played at a snails pace, with depressing lyrical content dealing with death, dying, decay, and apocalyptic themes. Germany's WORSHIP (very much like THERGOTHON, SKEPTICISM) have to be at the fore front of the funeral doom genre.

DOOOM features sparse drumming, and low fi production, which ironically enough brings upon an isolated atmosphere. The dark, bellowing, death vocals of DOOMMONGER and excellent,slow, melodic lead guitars make DOOOM an invaluable listen. For there is no better music to end the world, your life, the day, or to enjoy a funeral to as "DOOOM" is your apocalyptic soundtrack..
                                                                                                                                                               Opening track, "Endziet Elegy" is powerful, as the isolated atmosphere of sparse drumming is your swan song to humanity, the walls are closing in on this song. "Endziet Elegy" features a spoken word part, with doom bells as the track is crushing.                                                                                                                             "All I Ever Knew is Dead" with its beautiful, harmonic, lead guitar and background chorus vocals is a stunning track. "All I ever knew" (6:27)  evokes the most mournful, bended note squeezed out like a suppressed tear drop. "All I ever knew" evokes an apocalyptic highlight, sending MAD MAX off and carrying his coffin.
"The Alter and Choir of the Moonkult" opens with an ominous bass line, and is brutal in its delivery with awesome melodic guitar leads, and an ambient break adding to the songs heavy/quiet dynamics.
                                                                                                                                                            "Graveyard Horizon", evokes a beautiful lullaby featuring clean, deep, dark vocals as"Graveyard Horizon"  expands into an intense funeral dirge ( 1:40).
                                                                                                                                                                    "Zorn A Rust-Red Scythe" features Sabbath influenced, stoner doom, distorted riffs and employ the use of prominent, slow, snail pace drumming. A light piano with melodic guitar breaks in the middle as "Zorn A Rust-Red Scythe" proves to be the most diverse and progressive track "DOOOM" has to offer.

"Devided", with it's heavy stop and start break features melodic leads flowing like a waterfall throughout the song. The dark/ambient spoken word break at 4:00 is awesome and adds variety to this release.

Also included on this awesome release is a good cover of Solitude Aeturnus's
Mirror Of Soul, and the closing track "I am the End- Crucifixion Part II". As WORSHIP's "DOOOM" closes with a melancholic piano outro, the ghost of MAD MAX still looms in the distance.
                                                                                                                                                              "DOOOM" is part eulogy to MAX VARNIER, a closure to his life, and the beginning of a new era for WORSHIP.

The irony is that 2006/2007 featured two excellent releases, from two funeral doom bands in memory of fallen bandmates: (FUNERAL 2003-Einar Frederiksen,Christian Loos 2006 and WORSHIP's MAD MAX Varnier 2000).FUNERAL's "From These Wounds" (2006) and WORSHIP's DOOOM (2007).

"DOOOM" is an epic, groundbreaking funeral doom soundtrack to isolation, fear, and despair with no hope. For all of us whom have ever lost someone, specifically to suicide, although we may miss them, "DOOOM" is closure.

Enjoy Your Funeral- RIP MAD MAX VARNIER

ITP RATING: **** 

PRODUCTION: **** 

SONGWRITING: ****

PERFORMANCE: ****

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal- \m/ -l-