Mournument - Smouldering Into Dust (2022)

Unleashing unrivaled melancholy and atmospheric bleakness, today we have newcomers Mournument and their debut release “Smouldering Into Dust”. Reminding us of bands like Agalloch and Empyrium with a Doomier edge, this release delivers six tracks and 46 minutes of brilliant music. Perfect for a gloomy fall/winter day, this album is one of the best and most complete releases we have heard in 2022.

Opening with “On Rain and Thunder”, we get lush acoustic guitars and violins setting a bleak and desolate soundscape. As the clean vocals make their way, the Tenhi/Empyrium vibe slowly transitions into heavier territories with Agalloch-esque mournful distorted guitars. “Chasm of Abandoned Souls” continues the onslaught with more traditional Doom elements and an eerie mixture of deep clean vocals and harsh screams.

Balancing the release we have pieces like “Sea of Desperation”, which have a brilliant Neo Folk edge, masterfully followed by the melancholic behemoth “A Funeral Poem”. This last track has a chilling Doomy/My Dying Bride-esque vibe with some Celestial Seasons sprinkled into the mix as the violins come into play. Our favorite track has to be “Grey Was the Chant of My Endless Autumn” and its cinematic bleakness, perfectly weaving back and forth between melodic passages and soul crushing aggressive sections.

As a whole, “Smouldering Into Dust” is one brilliant release filled with excellent influences from some of the most melancholic and dynamic bands in the scene. We are quite surprised that a debut release would feature such a well crafted and excellently executed sound. Filled with lush instrumentation and brilliant arrangements, this release takes more than a few spins to fully unravel its secrets and subtleties. If you want top notch Atmospheric Death/Doom Metal with additional influences and elements, make sure to grab a copy of this epic release.

Label: Ardua Music

Release: November 4th, 2022

Genre: Atmospheric Death/Doom Metal

Country: Chile