Friday, June 25, 2010

Colosseum - Chapter I: Delerium


Genre: Funeral Doom
Country: Finland
Year: 2007
Label: Firedoom

Finland's funeral doom heroes Colosseum unfortunately joined the ranks of the fallen on the 15th of May this year, having split up due to the untimely death of mastermind Juhani Palomäki. The legacy he left behind is nothing short of astounding, having forged some of the most gripping funeral doom ever put to tape. Palomäki got his start in the melodic doom outfit Yearning, and eventually went on to form Colosseum in 2006. A demo and two full-length albums were recorded before he passed away, and a third was recorded and is set to be released in his memory. As for the music itself, this is colossal, epic, dynamic funeral doom of the highest order, absolutely crushing everything in its path. Megalithic riffs wander their way across bleak, desolate landscapes through which which distant, inhuman vocals rumble, a foundation over which tasteful keys weep beautiful, mournful melodies. The drums are handled expertly, every last kick and snare hit taking the wind out of your chest thanks to a big, booming production job. This is funeral doom you can truly feel, always exploring new emotional landscapes, never letting go, never resting on its laurels. There isn't a boring note on this album - it remains interesting and fresh across its entire length. Chapter I: Delerium is pure sorrow, darkness, and lamentation distilled into audio form, at once dark, oppressive, haunting, and beautiful. Thank you, Juhani Palomäki, for the magnificent art you left us with. A thousand cheers to you, sir.

For fans of Shape of Despair, Pantheist, Skepticism, and The Howling Void.

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