Mourners Lament are a doom/death metal band from Chile and this is their second album.
It’s been a long time since 2016’s We All Be Given, but finally its successor is here, (although the band did release an EP in 2022, apparently). Mourners Lament have a new lineup and an expanded, more ambitious vision for their sound. A Grey Farewell builds on We All Be Given, with Mourners Lament returning with a record that has been worth the lengthy weight.
Back with another six tracks, but with a running time vastly increased when compared to its predecessor, (43 minutes vs 64 minutes), A Grey Farewell offers a richly atmospheric and immersive journey.
The foundations of this style were laid by the old-school Peaceville acts, but on A Grey Farewell Mourners Lament find their own voice amidst the doom. The music contains a forlorn darkness, but also moments of expressive beauty. The songs are emotive and feeling-rich, with vast atmospheric vistas created by the band as they embrace worldbuilding with convincing skill and execution.
The record is full of despondent melodies and layered with keyboards, both of which provide key contributions to the comprehensive tapestry that the band weave with such skill. The songwriting makes the most of these assets, (as well as every other musical aspect), by crafting songs that ebb and flow with an emotive power and atmospheric presence that’s very satisfying. This is further bolstered by the singer, (also in Sol Sistere), who has a formidable growl, yet is also capable of cleans that add further depth with their plaintive delivery. My only real complaint is the spoken word – as everyone surely knows, the amount of acceptable spoken word on any album is usually zero. Having said that, it’s not an insurmountable amount, so only mars the music so much.
Minor issue aside, A Grey Farewell is still one of the more superior examples of the doom/death style I’ve encountered of late. It’s simply very well-rendered and effectively realised, delivering exactly what you’d want to genre to do, in a way that’s easy to enjoy and become absorbed in. What more could you want?
Wonderbox Metal 