u/Mysst3r11s

Forget albums for a moment.

If you had to pick 10 songs that represent what funeral doom is to you, what would they be?

They can be classics, obscure tracks, newer stuff, whatever. No need to put them in order.

Here's mine:

1. Ahab - Old Thunder

2. Evoken - Where Ghosts Fall Silent

3. Shape of Despair - Monotony Fields

4. Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin - The Bastard Wind

5. Ahab - The Divinity of Oceans

6. Esoteric - Circle

7. Oromet - Better Off Alone

8. Frowning - The Sound of Abandonment

9. Atramentus - Stygian I: From Tumultuous Heavens... (Descended Forth the Ceaseless Darkness)

10. Black Wreath - Solitude Rising (Missing All Exits)

What's your 10?

We always hear about bands "selling out" or ruining their legacy when they change styles. But sometimes a radical change in sound just works.

I'm talking about bands that moved from death metal to prog, thrash to groove, or even went completely outside of their original genre.

I think these could be two great examples:

• Katatonia: Their early death-doom era is iconic, but their shift into dark/progressive rock created an incredible melancholic atmosphere that defines them today.

• Carcass: Going from raw goregrind to melodic death metal with Heartwork was a massive change that ended up helping define a whole subgenre.

What’s your favorite example of a band completely changing direction and you actually preferring the new sound?

Something that's been done a million times, but you still never get tired of it.

Could be a type of riff, a vocal style, a guitar solo, something about the drumming, a lyrical theme, an album intro, a breakdown or whatever else.

What's yours?

I mean one particular moment that just destroys you.

It can be a riff, a vocal entrance, a melody, a transition, a sudden change in the atmosphere, whatever.

Two examples that come to my mind:

- Skepticism - Pendulum (Alloy, 2008): after a slow and agonizing intro, around 1:28 the song speeds up a little and becomes a kind of hypnotic funeral march.

- Ahab - ...Nickerson's Theme (The Divinity of Oceans, 2009): around 3:19, the relative calm suddenly breaks into a crushing wall of sound, creating this feeling of enormous weight and oppression.

What's yours?

What made it so special? The volume, the atmosphere, the venue, the crowd, the lighting, the band's performance, a particular song... or just that strange feeling when the whole room seems to become part of the music?

I'm curious about those shows that made you understand why Post-Metal can be such a powerful experience live.

What's the most memorable post-metal show you ever experienced, and what made it so unforgettable?

An excellent Spanish band that broke up years ago. They mixed genres like sludge, thrash, and doom metal in a very personal way and with top-tier quality.

They were one of those bands in constant evolution without ever losing their essence, and despite taking risks with every new album, they never released a weak or mediocre one.

This time, I've chosen the title track from their album Grengus. I hope at least one of you enjoys his music 😁

Sometimes you listen to an album for the first time and just don't get it. Maybe it's the sound, the songwriting or simply the style.

Then, months or years later, you give it another chance and suddenly everything makes sense.

For me, it was Effigy of the Forgotten by Suffocation. The first time I listened to it, the speed and aggression honestly overwhelmed me. I just wasn't ready for that kind of brutality. Some time later I gave it another chance and I was like, "holy shit, how did I not see this before?" 😂

What's yours?

Sometimes you listen to an album for the first time and just don't get it. Maybe it's the sound, the songwriting or simply the style.

Then, months or years later, you give it another chance and suddenly everything makes sense.

For me, it was Effigy of the Forgotten by Suffocation. The first time I listened to it, the speed and aggression honestly overwhelmed me. I just wasn't ready for that kind of brutality. Some time later I gave it another chance and I was like, "holy shit, how did I not see this before?" 😂

What's yours?

Sometimes, for one reason or another, we don't get to listen to bands that are already considered legendary or very important in a particular metal subgenre.

Then, many years later, you finally put on an album from one of those bands and think:

Holy shit, how the fuck I didn't listen to this band before? 😂

This happened to me with Neurosis. I went many years without really listening to them, and when I finally gave them a proper chance, I was completely blown away.

What's your case? Which band did you discover way too late, and what album made you realize what you had been missing?

- EXPLANATORY NOTE:

I think the idea of “discovering a band too late” can be explained with a simple example.

When you get into a new metal subgenre, you usually start with the legendary and influential bands that helped establish its foundations. But sometimes, for whatever reason, you completely miss one of them.

Then, years later, you finally hear something from that band that you absolutely love, and you can’t believe you somehow overlooked them for so long.

That’s what I mean by “discovering a band too late.”

Sometimes, for one reason or another, we don't get to listen to bands that are already considered legendary or very important in a particular metal subgenre.

Then, many years later, you finally put on an album from one of those bands and think:

Holy shit, how the fuck I didn't listen to this band before?😂

This happened to me with Neurosis. I went many years without really listening to them, and when I finally gave them a proper chance, I was completely blown away.

What's your case? Which band did you discover way too late, and what album made you realize what you had been missing?

- EXPLANATORY NOTE:

I think the idea of “discovering a band too late” can be explained with a simple example.

When you get into a new metal subgenre, you usually start with the legendary and influential bands that helped establish its foundations. But sometimes, for whatever reason, you completely miss one of them.

Then, years later, you finally hear something from that band that you absolutely love, and you can’t believe you somehow overlooked them for so long.

That’s what I mean by “discovering a band too late.”

I'm looking for those rare songs that feels unique, extraordinary, almost perfect, and somehow stand above even the other great songs you love.

Those songs where you think: "This is something else."

What are the 5 songs that, for you, are on another level? Obviously, it doesn't matter at all if there are fewer than 5 songs.

For example, mine:

- Enslaved - 793 (Slaget om Lindisfarne) (Eld, 1997)

- Nile - Unas, Slayer of the Gods (In Their Darkened Shrines, 2002)

- Ahab - Old Thunder (The Call of the Wretched Sea, 2006)

- Mindrot - Despair (Soul, 1993)

- Cult of Luna - Dark City, Dead Man (Somewhere Along the Highway, 2006)

I'm curious to see which songs people consider truly untouchable.

I've tried many times, but I just can't enjoy Vader's Litany, even if it's considered one of the best albums in their discography.

For me, the kick drums sounds way too artificial, and they're mixed so loud that they overpower almost every other instrument. I know many people love this album, but that production choice completely ruins it for me.

Has this ever happened to you?

Is there a famous metal album you never could enjoy because of one production or mixing choice? It could be the drum sound, guitar tone, triggered drums, brickwall mastering, muddy mix... anything.

I've tried many times, but I just can't enjoy Vader's Litany, even if it's considered one of the best albums in their discography.

For me, the kick drums sounds way too artificial, and they're mixed so loud that they overpower almost every other instrument. I know many people love this album, but that production choice completely ruins it for me.

Has this ever happened to you?

Is there a famous metal album you never could enjoy because of one production or mixing choice? It could be the drum sound, guitar tone, triggered drums, brickwall mastering, muddy mix... anything.

Some funeral doom bands released one or two fantastic records and then vanished before they had the chance to fully develop their sound.

For me, UN is at the top of that list. Every time I revisit their music, I can't shake the feeling that they still had much more to offer. Black Wreath and Longing for Dawn gives me a similar feeling.

Which band would you bring back for at least one more album?

Morne have released one excellent album after another for almost two decades, yet they rarely come up when people talk about the best post-metal bands.

Why does this always seem to happen with Morne in these cases?

And if you had to recommend just one Morne album to someone who never heard them, which one would it be and why?

Ophis have built one of the most consistent discographies in modern Death/Doom. Every album has something to offer, yet I think they rarely get the recognition they deserve.

If you had to pick just one album as their masterpiece, which one would it be? And if you'd like to share the reasons behind your choice, I'd love to hear them.

Even though it's far from the album that usually gets mentioned, my pick is Abhorrence in Opulence. I think it's an outstanding album from start to finish, and the song in the link is a great example of why.

I've been completely incapable of listening to anything else but this brutal EP for the past few hours.

Is this serious, doctor? 😅

Imagine every post-metal album is about to disappear forever.

U can save only five albums for future generations, SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS GENRE IS ALL ABOUT.

Which five albums would you choose? Feel free to explain your reasons if you'd like.

Mine would be:

- Neurosis – Through Silver in Blood

The foundation of modern post-metal.

- Isis – Oceanic

The genre's defining masterpiece.

- Cult of Luna – Somewhere Along the Highway

Peak atmosphere and emotion.

- Amenra – Mass VI

Raw intensity and overwhelming emotional weight.

- Agalloch – The Mantle

Obviously, it's not a pure Post-Metal album, but I also think it's clear that it became a major source of inspiration for many bands in the genre thanks to its unique blend of melancholy, nature and atmosphere.

It's not necessarily your favorite black metal album ever.

Just the one you would love to experience again with fresh ears, like the first time you listened to it. Which one would you choose, and what made that first listen so special?

In my case, I would pick Cruelty and the Beast by Cradle of Filth without any doubt.

That album really blowed my mind back then. It introduced me to a way of writing songs I had never imagined before. The atmosphere, the amount of details, the lyrics... everything felt so unique to me.

It left a mark on me, and I still remember that first time as something very special.

I've always had the impression that, more than in most other metal subgenres, post-metal bands tends to end their albums with their most powerful, emotional or intense track.

Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how it has always felt to me.

If you had to pick just one closing track that stands above the rest, which one would it be?

Mine would be:

Cult of Luna - Dark City, Dead Man (Somewhere Along the Highway)