Richard HolmesFvnerals – Wounds (Golden Antenna Records)
Genre: Post Rock/Doom/Ambient
Haunting, oppressive and bathed in deep melancholy, Fvnerals’ second album is something of an ordeal… yet within the haze of incense you’ll find moments of profound beauty and grace. Take Teeth as an example. Hypnotic, almost lulling, it gently leads you into the void, with Tiffany Ström’s singing acting as a siren’s call. Closer Where gives even more space to her ethereal vocals, allowing Ström’s lyrics to drift across a sparse, cold landscape.
Indeed, Fvnerals’ allow their work plenty of room to breathe: doom drenched riffs lurk just beneath the surface, but rarely take centre stage, and the snail’s pace employed here helps to give greater emphasis to the record’s more dramatic moments – the title track’s grief-stricken peaks are a case in point.
This opus is monotonous in places and is undoubtedly best served live (in a candle-lit vault) – but at its best, Wounds is a captivating piece of work that will enhance Fvnerals’ burgeoning reputation.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 6.5/10 Funereal