THE ETHEREAL „from funeral skies”

Music: Funeral doom
Website: http://www.nulll-void.com/svc/
Country: Belgium
Standout tracks: None

This is a one man funeral doom band from Stijn Van Cauter who has been in a number of doom bands including PANTHEIST. Stijn plays guitar, bass, keyboard, timpani, electric violin and the small amount of vocals. The album comes in two versions. The first with just the three songs on, then a second version with “from funeral skies” added. Which version you get doesn’t actually matter because all songs sound the same. If you asked Stijn to listen back to the album and tell you which song was which I would be surprised if he could distinguish between his own songs. They are all far too long and go nowhere. The shortest song clocks in at nine minutes. The songs are all slow, drawn out affairs, with all instruments tuned low. It is trying to do everything expected from a funeral doom album. It just tries to hard to be depressing. It is very minimalist with very little happening. The vocals never get past some quiet growling. There are no lyrics to speak off. It tries to be depressing by creating this long drawn out atmosphere of doom, but what it actually creates is boredom. This is not music that is trying to be liked though. It wants to be hated, to be too inaccessible, it wants to make people depressed. Anyone with too much time on their hands and recording equipment could make an album like this, but most people would have the sense to realise how pointless recordings like this are. If you happen to enjoy down tuned lift music then maybe you would enjoy this, but honestly I can’t see what anyone could get out of it.

note: 1/10

Tracklist

1. Beyond All Dreams 17:05
2. Your Creation 14:47
3. Wish 09:54
4. From Funeral Skies' 15:56

Line-up

Stijn Van Cauter