Funeral - To Mourn Is A Virtue (CD) Digibook

Review
Kronosmortus
8.5/10
23.07.2011

When hearing about Norway, maybe not this kind of mournful, melancholic Doomy music comes to mind what FUNERAL presents on this special release. And why this is so special? I’ll tell it soon. As a sort of introduction, however, I first tell you that the band has been walking its path since a long time, to be exact, since 1991, soon after which the second wave of Norwegian Black Metal movement started its activities. Thus, we can say that their path was not an easy one for sure as back then Black bands had much easier task. But their dedication proved to be real strong as they have released, if I am right, 6 full-lengths during their career. Nevertheless, I have to admit, I’ve missed them all so far… This way, at least, I cannot compare this to their older stuffs.

Well, the special nature of the record lies in the fact that these nine songs (covering 69 minutes of playing time in total) are an instrumental demo recorded in 1996 at the famous English Academy studio of the Doom/Death line. And, of course, with Mags as producer. I guess those who know the British Doom/Death stuffs of the ’90s, these names tell much. And, indeed, this information tells much about the music itself. We can hear slow, melancholic Doom tunes building from mournful guitar themes. By all means, I mention MY DYING BRIDE’s Turn loose the Swans and The Angel and the Dark River albums as a musical parallel, so one can easily place FUNERAL on the map. Anyway, taking into consideration we are dealing with a demo recording, the sound is excellent: nice guitar sound, powerful drum and bass, the production is balanced in every aspect. As mentioned above, the recordings from ’96 were originally instrumental, so vocals were recorded later by three different vocalists (Frode F., Øystein R. and Sara E.) who once were the members of their line-up throughout the years. Vocal parts, by the way, are of a graver, melodic type, no grunts in the tunes. And I also have to mention the absolutely tasty keyboard parts, these, with their orchestral sound, give a solemn tone to the songs.

Also, the outside of the stuff is excellent: the cover/booklet is very spectacular, the latter also includes liner notes of the material, detailing every important issue. And the CD itself has a golden playing surface.

To Mourn is a Virtue is a strong, moody stuff, even if I personally prefer the somewhat graver, darker materials of the genre.

Author: Stillborn

Review
Femfogacs
9/10
04.07.2011

A norvég Funeral legénysége visszatekintett, és legfőképpen a nagy érdeklődésre való tekintettel úgy érezte, érdemesnek tartja megjelentetni a Tragedies és az In Fields Of Pestilent Grief lemezek között rögzített, de ki nem adott (vagy csak demó formájában megjelent) dalait mielőtt azok végleg a feledés homályába merülnének - a zenekar rajongóinak legnagyobb örömére, avagy gyászára.
Itt van tehát a "hiányzó láncszem" gyönyörű digibook formában, 999 példányra limitálva.

A To Mourn Is A Virtue dalait még 1996-ban rögzítette a zenekar Mags vezényletével az angol Academy Studioban, ahol többek között a My Dying Bride és az Anathema gárdája is megfordult akkoriban – öreg rókák biztosan emlékeznek...
Lényeg a lényeg: felvették a kilenc instrumentális dalt - éppen énekes/énekesnő hiányában -, aztán ez a matéria az idő múlásával a fiók mélyén csendben hevert a feltámadás reményében. Igaz, publikáltak róla ezt-azt (például a Wrapped All In Woe és a Your Pain Is Mine című szereményeket a szintén To Mourn Is a Virtue című demón Sara E. énekével), de semmi több.

Az eredeti hangsávok megtartásával Frode F., Øystein R. és Sara E. énekelte fel a dalokat – melyek közül véleményem szerint Frode nagyszerű orgánuma illik leginkább a zene hangulatához -, majd kapott a lemez egy remastert. Ez hát a To Mourn Is A Virtue.

Egy nagyon letisztult hangzású anyagról van szó. Ne számítson senki a From These Wounds vagy az As The Light Does The Shadow-n hallható reszelő gitárokra, bömbölő basszusra, de 15 év távlatából ez persze nem is várható.
Zeneileg leginkább az In Fields Of Pestilent Grief és a Tragedies világát idézi számomra ez a kordokumentum. Többszöri hallgatás után szoktam meg ugyan, sőt szerettem meg ezt a dalcsokrot: olyan emlékeket, hangulatokat idézett fel bennem, mint amit például a My Dying Bride Turn Loose The Swans megismerése közben éreztem kölyökkoromban. Szellős, gótikus témák sorjáznak itt, amik véleményem szerint ma is megállják a helyüket.

Nyilvánvaló hogy kellett a minőség javítása, hallható is a különbség, de bárhogy is nézzük, mégiscsak egy másfél évtizedes anyagról van szó. A lemez értékelésénél ezt tartottam elsődleges szempontnak.

A frontborítón William-Adolphe Bouguereau francia festő The First Mourning című gyönyörű festménye díszeleg, ami már vizuálisan is kellő élményt nyújt. (Érdekességképpen: a Burzum legutóbbi Fallen című lemezén is a művész egyik festménye látható, de felhasználta a festő egy másik alkotását az apocalyptic folkban utazó svéd illetőségű nihilista Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio csoport is – csak amikről tudok...)

El kellett telnie néhány napnak, amíg teljesen rá tudtam hangolódni a To Mourn Is The Virtue dalaira, s végül kellemes bajtársiasság alakult ki köztünk.

Számomra gyászt csupán elvétve, de könnyed melankóliát mindenképpen közvetít a lemez. Funeral rajongóknak egyértelműen kötelező ez az anyag, de mindenképpen ajánlott a ’90-es évek doom zenéit kedvelő emberek számára is.

Author: zeba

Review
Forgotten Scroll
30.06.2011

I guess that Funeral from Norway do not need any special introduction to all those that have even a basic relationship with the Doom Metal stuff. They have been around the scene since 1991 and especially the releases of their first period -I am referring to their "Tristesse" 1993 demo and "Tristesse" Mini CD (1994), their 1994 "Beyond All Sunsets" demo and their 1995 "Tragedies" Mini CD- are now marked as absolute classics. Well we can sure mention Funeral as one of the very first bands that have played Doom / Death Metal and Funeral Doom Metal. The unique atmosphere of their songs, their very slow almost tombstone riffing, the acoustic interludes and bridges, the growling and the female vocals are musical elements that have marked somehow the specific genres.

"To Mourn Is A Virtue" is actually the missing link between the classic albums ´Tragedies"(1995) and "In Fields Of Pestilent Grief" (2002). This album is based on unreleased demo-recordings ,and contains nine previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1996 and 2004, remastered in 2010, almost 15 years after the moment they were initially recorded in the studio.

For the story we must point that the band have used the title "To Mourn Is A Virtue" for their 1997 Demo, they actually went to England and recorded ten tracks at Academy Studios without vocals (because of lack of a vocalist), soon the band recruited Sarah Eick as their female vocalist and finished five of the ten tracks, resulting in "To Mourn Is a Virtue" . Well on the Solitude Production album release of 2011 we can find two remastered tracks from this era ("Wrapped All In Woe" in the original version but now remastered and "Your Pain Is Mine" in a new version). Focusing more into the album we will be able to discover some more Funeral material that first shows the light of the day through this 2011 release.

There are for sure some great and outstanding songs included in this release for example the opening track "Hunger", the follower "God?" and of course the magnificent "Poison" song which is one of the best pieces of music included in this album together with the epic and melancholic "Father".

Musically the stuff included in this release fits greatly in the musical path that Funeral have followed mainly from their 2002 album and later -no matter the fact that here we got some earlier stuff re presented- . If you are familiar with the clean male vocals, the atmospheric keyboard fillings, the melodic interludes and the Doomy riffing that are now big trademarks of Funeral then you would love this 2011 release and you would realize that the band was working on the musical style that have marked their entire -2002 and above- second period, even from the mid 90s.

You would feel like home if you have introduced to the Funeral's music by the "From These Wounds" album of 2006 which is the best album in the band's second period. You would be able to meet all the dark and melancholic majesty of this great band presented in the nine songs of "to Mourn Is A Virtue" release.

Although that I was somehow prepared to hear more stuff in the vein of the band's first period -more old school Funeral Doom or Doom Death Metal sound with some good female vocals as this is my personal favorite era of funeral, I can point that I was very satisfied with this stuff as well. A good idea would be the entire re release of all the 1994 ("Beyond All Sunsets"), the 1997 ("To Mourn Is A Virtue") and 1999 ("The Passion Play") tapes featuring the original track listing and a possible remaster, perhaps the band and Solitude Productions can think about this.

Author: Countraven

Review
Metal Integral
15/20
16.06.2011

Formed in 1991, the Norwegians of FUNERAL were precursors of this sub-genus which is the Funeral Doom Metal. To Mourn Is A Virtue is not strictly speaking the fifth album of the group. It is indeed about a compilation of new pieces, remained with the state of demonstrations and recorded between 1996 and 2004. Missing links between first album Tragedies (1995) and third From These Wounds (2006), they profited from one remastering.

In spite of rather considerable spreading out in time, these new compositions form a coherent unit in the sense that they put forward the characteristic of FUNERAL within the microcosm of the Funeral Doom. Indeed, where many formations propose in fact a maximalist version (slower, heavier, longer, more atmospheric) of the Doom Death, FUNERAL always privileged a finer approach, more directly melody. This choice is expressed first of all in the field of the clear song, impresses of a poignant sadness, sometimes near to the lamentation. The lines of song privilege the melody and per moments are supported by reinforced vocal combinations.

Then, arrangements, in particular of keyboards, are numerous and contribute to air the unit; in the same way guitars lead take the top on the riffs. Lastly, the overall sound remains always limpid (even for demonstrations) and establishes in fact a filiation with the universe of Doom Metal lyric traditional (that of SOLITUDE AETURNUS, for example).

Like often with FUNERAL, the listening of the whole of the album of sharp can cause a light lassitude, the listener being confronted with slow and long compositions, little equipped with asperities and the dynamic ones. On the other hand, as regards the lancinance and the Gothic depression, To Mourn Is A Virtue proves the control of FUNERAL on the matter with the passing of years.

Author: Alain

Review
Doom Metal Front
8/10

Es gibt wohl kaum einen programmatischeren Bandnamen als den der norwegischen Kultband Funeral. Auch der Titel des aktuellen Albums „To Mourn Is A Virtue“ lässt keine Zweifel darüber aufkommen, was neun Titel lang geboten wird. Na gut, so aktuell sind die Songs auch wieder nicht, denn es handelt sich um ein Remastering von fast fünfzehn Jahre alten und bisher unveröffentlichten Demoaufnahmen. Und einmal abgesehen von der Grundstimmung und dem teils
zermürbenden Schneckentempo kommen die Kompositionen recht traditionell daher, woran der schöne und klare, sehr epische Gesang schuld ist. Hinzu kommen die immer wieder in Choräle ausufernden Refrains, welche die schweren Gitarrenriffs und die weinerlichen Melodien wie ein Trauerzug begleiten. Auch die Texte und Songtitel wie „Your Pain Is Mine“, „How Death Will Linger“, „Father“ und zum Beispiel auch „Wrapped All In Woe“ geben keinerlei Gelegenheit zum positiven Denken, weil sich jeder dazu eignen würde, auf einer Beerdigung gespielt zu werden. Wer nicht um den Verblichenen selbst trauern sollte, der weint spätestens nach „To Mourn Is A Virtue“, wirklich ergreifend und ausdrucksstark das Ganze, ohne wirklich pathetisch zu wirken. Zur Erinnerung für alle Augen rollenden Hippies – die Band heißt Funeral und genau das bekommt man hier geboten.

Author: Sven Mihlan