Individual thought patterns V.024: ITP V.011 REVIEW: MOURNFUL CONGREGATION: THE BOOK OF KINGS

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

ITP V.011 REVIEW: MOURNFUL CONGREGATION: THE BOOK OF KINGS

BAND: MOURNFUL CONGREGATION (ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA) GENRE: FUNERAL DOOM RECORD LABEL: WEIRD TRUTH PRODUCTIONS RELEASE DATE: 11/1/2011

PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG): THE UNSPOKEN HYMNS (2011-COMPILATION-20 BUCK SPIN), THE JUNE FROST (2009- WEIRD TRUTH PRODUCTIONS),FOUR BURIALS (SPLIT-EP-2008-OTESENEK, LOSS,ORTHODOX-BATTLE KOMMAND RECORDS),MOURNFUL CONGREGATION/ STONE WINGS (SPLIT EP-2007-OSTRA), THE MONAD OF CREATION (2005-WEIRD TRUTH PRODUCTIONS), MOURNFUL CONGREGATION/STABAT MATER (2004-SPLIT-PANIAC RECORDS), WORSHIP/MOURNFUL CONGREGATION (2002-PANIAC RECORDS), THE DAWNING OF MOURNFUL HYMNS (COMPILATION-2002-WEIRD TRUTH PRODUCTIONS),TEARS FROM A GREIVING HEART (1998-SELF RELEASED),EPIC DREAM OF DESIRE (DEMO-1995), WEEPING (DEMO-1994)

BEST RELEASE (s): THE MONAD OF CREATION (2005), JUNE FROST (2009)

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION: THE BOOK OF KINGS: TRACKLISTING:
I. The Catechism of Depression (XIX:XIX)
II. The Waterless Streams (XII:XVIII)
III. The Bitter Veils of Solemnity (XII:II)
IV. The Book of Kings (XXXIII:X)

ITP RATING: *** 1/2
PRODUCTION: *** 1/2
SONGWRITING: *** 1/2
PERFORMANCE: ****

Formed in 1993, Australian funeral doom act MOURNFUL CONGREGATION have stricken a depressive tone with a string of quality funeral doom releases, notably THE MONAD OF CREATION (2005) and JUNE FROST (2009). MOURNFUL CONGREGATION combine bleak atmospheric textures with dense riffs and hypnotic, slow paced compositions, often with three guitars. The release of MOURNFUL CONGREGATION's "June Frost" (2009), inspired the project to play live, and raised the bands profile.

We at ITP V.011 have the epic MOURNFUL CONGREGATION release "The Book Of Kings" on deck to review.

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION's "The Book Of Kings" opens with the track "The Catechism of Depression", a nearly 20 minute opus. MOURNFUL CONGREGATION's "The Catechism of Depression" evokes a slow, snails pace of funeral doom, with with poignant, power chords. MOURNFUL CONGREGATION's vocalist Damon Good's spooky death vocals combined with quality clean spoken and sung vox paints a bleak tone, carrying the coffin through a snowy tundra of depressive neurosis. MOURNFUL CONGREGATION's "The Catechism of Depression" evokes an beautiful acoustic passage, (10:38) gorgeous and emotive as the composition transitions into a mesmorizing, trance inducing melodic lead riff.

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION's "The Waterless Streams" evokes a slow picked intro with wondrous, melodic guitar soloing. Peeking out of a fox hole, MOURNFUL CONGREGATION's "The Waterless Streams" crawls into a beautiful spoken word vocal, well written riffs paint around the songs conture adding color to the grey depressive tones, and bleak vocals. MOURNFUL CONGREGATION's "The Waterless Streams" over flows with gorgeous riff structures (9:00), dripping into a repititive trance, segueing into a gorgeous
acoustic ending.

MOURNFUL CONGREGATIONS "The Bitter Veils of Solemnity" is an all ACOUSTIC funeral doom epic, with drum, bass and dark echo chamber, whispered vocals. MOURNFUL CONGREGATIONS "The Bitter Veils of Solemnity" extends into a gorgeous epic, instramental journey.

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION closes with the title track "The Book of Kings" a 33:13 epic of despondent, depressive compositional genious. MOURNFUL CONGREGATION ""The Book of Kings" features a tasty melodic lead riff, changing key every few seconds (4:00), as the song morphs into a dramatic chugging, picking up momentum (5:30).MOURNFUL CONGREGATION "The Book of Kings" twists in shape and form into softer passages to create charismatic, repititive riffs and an enigmatic atmosphere.

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION's compositions are long and winding journeys through bleak soundscapes of despondency and despair. MOURNFUL CONGREGATION's "The Book of Kings" paint a collage of charsimatic riffs, emoting impact with repitition and a variety and even acoustic instramentation..

Riff variety is the key, within long compositions of snail paced funeral doom, diversifying riffs would be stating the obvious, it is mandatory..

If MOURNFUL CONGREGATION tweeked the songwriting just a little bit, "The Book of Kings" would have it's own throne.

ITP RATING: *** 1/2
PRODUCTION: *** 1/2
SONGWRITING: *** 1/2
PERFORMANCE: ****

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

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Individual thought patterns V.024

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

ITP V.011 REVIEW: MOURNFUL CONGREGATION: THE BOOK OF KINGS

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