Mournful Congregation - The Exuviae of Gods - Part I (2022)

It’s been almost four years since Mournful Congregation’s last release and they have been some very doomy years indeed. Luckily for fans of Funeral Doom Metal, the band returns with a ‘short’ EP titled “The Exuviae of Gods - Part I”, which of course clocks in at 37 minutes and unleashes three piercing tracks. Needing no introduction, this Aussie band is about to make your day a whole darker and gloomier with this crushing release.

The release opens with “Mountainous Shadows, Cast Through Time” and its dramatic atmospherics featuring mournful organs and the band’s signature slow and piercing riffs. At 14-minutes long, this piece masterfully builds to cathartic moments and ends with some truly melancholic passages. In a more exploratory and tension-building way, “The Exuviae of Gods” keeps the momentum going with clean guitars and transitions into sweeping electric guitar leads.

Closing the release with “An Epic Dream of Desire”, the band saved the most bitter and punishing track for last. We particularly love the simplicity of the band’s approach, barely using any additional elements besides their triple weeping guitars, hypnotic drums, piercing bass line, and a mixture of clean and harsh vocals. If you are a fan of the genre and are ready for a bleak time, this is just the release that 2022 needed.

Label: 20 Buck Spin / Osmose Productions

Release: May 27th, 2022

Genre: Funeral Doom Metal

Country: Australia