Eternal Sleep

Somnium Mortuum seems to be quite the mystery project. Although the sole member, Wargrath, operates a label, there has been no word of anything new for years now. No matter though- "Eternal Sleep" will be more than adequate for repeated listens.

Dubbed "Atmospheric/Ambient Funeral Doom", although "Eternal Sleep" definitely leans towards the "Atmospheric/Ambient" label in content. Vocals are sparse, but when they are there, they arrive in the forms of funeral doom-esque growls, black metal rasps, and occasionally the odd clean voiced section.

Instrumentally, Wargrath seems to enjoy keyboards the most, because they completely dominate almost every track. This is not a bad thing- the slow, mournful melodies create an quiet atmosphere of a dense, sleepy, misty forest.

Although keys are dominant, guitars are still utilized. When done so, they are played in a rather traditional sense; low, distorted, sometimes palm-muted chords. However, the big difference between Somnium Mortuum styled guitars and traditional funeral doom guitars comes in the delivery. They are often played in the background here, or just not as prevalent as usual. Though heavily distorted, the tone is not nearly as nightmarish as, say, the Comatose Vigil guitar tone. It is almost friendly in sound, if that is possible. Another oddity of the guitar use by Wargrath is the usual relatively mid-tempo. Nothing droningly slow here.

There is little variety to be found on "Eternal Sleep", but that is both expected and welcomed, in this case. The overall feel of the songs is quite unique for funeral doom, one reason I've come to enjoy this album. Most are fairly relaxing and refreshing, a stark contrast from the usual despaired anguish found in other projects. Still, there remains a sense of mystery and longing behind the songs.

Overall, "Eternal Sleep" is a wonderfully atmospheric and unknown gem. The music would fit exceedingly well to almost any fantasy RPG/film, yet it lacks the elements that make usual soundtracks overly cheesy and forgettable. Hunt this one down...it will not disappoint.