Funeral - From These Wounds (2006)

Related:
Funeral - Tragedies (1995)
Fallen - A Tragedy's Bitter End (2004)

The other Funeral masterpiece. Sorrowful baritone vocals over crushing riffs, majestic keyboards, and generally melodic but utterly desolated sounds that are equally informed by funeral doom and gothic death. From These Wounds was written in the aftermath of the suicide of founding guitarist/vocalist Einar Andre Fredriksen (who some of you might recognize from his appearance on this album cover.) Then, heartbreakingly, one of their guitarists, Christian Loos, committed suicide just before the album's release. Needless to say, the specter of loss and mortality hangs over this record's every moment, and you can definitely hear it.

Track listing:
1. This Barren Skin
2. From These Wounds
3. The Architecture of Loss
4. Red Moon
5. Vagrant Moon
6. Pendulum
7. Saturn

Here I lie
Waiting to die
No cigarettes
No drinks after eight
Here I lie
Medication cut down
To preserve my breath
To postpone my death

Also listen to:

Diabolique -
Wedding the Grotesque (1997)

Omit -
Repose (2011)

Funeral - Tragedies (1995)

Classic early Norwegian funeral doom. Full of harmonized guitars and classically-inspired acoustic bits, Tragedies' crushing emotional center is lead vocalist Toril Snyen's perfectly melancholic, angelic performance. I think it's one of the greatest doom metal albums ever recorded. I'm also stuck in bed with some sort of stomach sickness that I'm hoping isn't H1N1.

Track listing:
1. Taarene
2. Under Ebony Shades
3. Demise
4. When Nightfall Clasps
5. Moment in Black
6. Forlorn

I loathe the presence of God