Abhorrence-Salvation

It’s nice when a bands hard work and sheer determination to prevail as a success story pays off. Both the listener and musicians reap the rewards of a work ethic that others could learn from. Though finding the right balance may take a long time and a lot of perseverance, especially during troubled times, musicians should always be prepared to wait, no matter how long it takes, to find the missing link to the previously broken chain. Good things come to those who wait, right? With the addition of several fine musicians, having scoured long and hard to find the perfect sense of equilibrium, Faal have amassed a group that is just about ready to take the funeral doom division by storm. This six-piece funeral doom metal band from The Netherlands, are one of those examples you’re always proud to speak of. A band who puts in the hard work, time and effort to reap the rewards of fine performances, as shown on their multifaceted debut, ‘Abhorrence-Salvation’ and though the line-up has altered several times, I still get the feeling that Faal are mature enough to stand tall despite what changes life has to throw at them. I’m also becoming increasingly surprised by Ván Records. Not only do they provide some obscure black metal gems, but they’re now turning their hand at funeral doom talents. Long may this continue!

Although I’ve become accustomed to a sense of post-rock within genres like black metal and the sub-genre of atmospheric sludge, rarely have I come across the concept of a post-rock inspired funeral doom metal band, which is precisely what Faal are - though the outside influences do not stop there. Though the post-rock influence is only sparsely felt in their long-winded songs, it certainly does exist shape at one point or another whilst allowing the door to open for other possible directions to dictate the movement of this free-flowing band. I had expected this record to follow along the same lines of the song ‘The Scent Of Withered Flowers’, a poetically named track that moves slowly and sluggishly before the percussion decides to inflict a serious of tempo changes, despite the cautious movement of the guitars, of which there are two, provided by Alex and Pascal. Having recently covered a band described as “symphonic funeral doom” in The Howling Void, I feel we’re starting to see a changing of the tides as the sub-genre looks to the future and attracting a new market, whilst keeping on long-time followers with an added spicing of experimentation. This is shown in a number of areas, including the vocals which remind me of Altar of Plagues’ vocalist, at times, though this is definitely an infrequent feeling. Alongside the stunning post-rock visions the guitars have, this frame of reference seems to be more and more likely with songs like ‘Perpetual Solitude’ and even ‘00:00’.

A transformation is occurring, though this is a slow process, which is rather apt when considering the nature of funeral doom which, in itself, is usually a very slow genre. There is, as with The Howling Void, a sense of symphonic subtleties within the diverse soundscapes of Faal’s music. Yara, the bands main provider of synths, was only acquired in 2007, two years after the band had formed. This decision to take her on as the leading creator of the synth department was brave, but ultimately wise. The added depth that the synths provide for Faal is crucial in their fight for supremacy, despite the fact that this element remains subtle. Each song seems to depict something different, so although she may have a big part to play on songs like ‘The Scent Of Withered Flowers’ which builds slowly through the bass, guitars and percussion before her ambient touches become an integral factor of the song, she may have a limited part in other songs for long durations at a time, like the immense ‘Perpetual Solitude’ which has faster guitar led tempos, bringing out that post-rock influence as one guitarist plays a crushingly slow riff and the other fastens the pace with a lighter, more excruciatingly painful riff underneath.

As with the synths, the second guitarist is often limited to a place beneath the main guitarist who offers the typically slow, elongated leads with lots of heavy distortion. Alongside the heavy-heartedness of the growls, this element works well at depicting the angrier side of a band like Faal. The lighter sections depict the hopelessness better than the heavier sections and thus the two combine well, in an effort to reward the listener with multifaceted sections. The middle of this record is different to the outer limits. Both songs 2 and 3 have more in common than songs 1 and 4, though they all contribute to the grander picture well. Some have said that there is a likeness to legendary band Insanity Reigns Supreme and whilst this may be true, there is a definite feeling that, with the influence from black metal and post-rock in songs like ‘Perpetual Solitude’, which displays shimmering soundscapes which reminds me of when the sun beats down hard upon the vast oceans, Faal stand alone. A debut that has notched up a few surprises along the way but, ultimately, is a very positive step forwards for a repetitive sub-genre.