Review on Doom-metal.com

Modern Funeral Art - Doom With a View (2009)

When you talk about Gothic Doom, everyone assumes you'll get something whinier than the whiniest My Chemical Romance song, with lots of symphonic keyboards everywhere, and maybe, if you're very unlucky (GOD PRESERVE US FROM THIS HORROR!!) female vocals. Which is nothing of what you’ll find on Modern Funeral Art's second album. For the French band draws more musical inspiration from early 80's Cold Wave, Post-Punk and Goth Rock as well as the classic Peaceville Three.



This album could be best described as a mix between Paradise Lost in their 'Shades Of God'/'Icon' days and Christian Death on their 'Catastrophe Ballet' era (complete with a dark and twisted sense of humour, like on the trilogy 'Deathcode Of The Devil Worshippers'). Throw in some Neo Folk parts (the wonderful accoustic piece 'Mary Jane Kelly'), a bit more speed that is reminiscent of the darkest Moonspell pieces (the neckbreakers 'Sol Invictus' and 'The Dance') and even a bit of Soundgarden in some guitars parts.



Still, despite all those non-Metal names you see mentioned, this is one hell of a Doom Metal release, heavy as a marble angel statue, cold as the graveyard earth and dark as a sepulchre. I must mention an important point here: the vocals. I'm pretty sure that the voice of Arnaud Spitz will shock many of the listeners, as he definitively sings in the Cold wave/Neo Folk style and not our traditional growling. Arnaud's voice is dry and as cold as a crow cawing in the mist, and suits better the music displayed here than a more traditional Doom/Death, or even a clean voice, would have done.



This is one of the most original pieces of Doom Metal I've heard in years, as the band manages to play it by the book, yet invigorate the genre with a strong personality and influences one is not accustomed to see when talking about our favourite genre. In itself, this is enough to recommend 'Doom With A View' to anyone wanting to discover what Gothic Doom has to offer when it embraces its real Goth lineage, as well as those of you open-minded enough to try a new form of musical melancholy.



Information



1. State Of The World

2. Sol Invictus

3. Alexander

4. Mary Jane Kelly

5. Dante In The Dusty Woods

6. Friends Of Hell (Deathcode Of The Devil Worshippers part 1)

7. Suicide Pact (You First) (Deathcode Of The Devil Worshippers part 2)

8. Around The Graves (Deathcode Of The Devil Worshippers part 3)

9. The Dance



Duration: Approx. ?? minutes

Visit the bandlist page for Modern Funeral Art

Reviewed on 05-06-2009 by Laurent Lignon