Mournful Congregation The Incubus Of Karma

Mournful Congregations latest album The Incubus Of Karma is a phenomenal, dark funeral procession into the abyss of eternal torment. Their best to date, full of dark, cold, isolating atmosphere, and crushing, anguish filled heaviness.

The intro track The Indwelling Ascent brings you down into the abyss, full of beautiful harmonies and atmosphere like funereal fog.

Whispering Spirits capes follows suit, starting out with a agony laden riff. ‘Black Horses ride waveless skies traversed as shapeless voids backless night and void less light’ growls Damon Good. It's dark, it's slightly medieval, and it's excruciatingly atmospheric. It's suicidally beautiful. And it takes you on a journey through the dark, bleak, despair ridden void of eternal death.

Side B begins with The Ribaiyat, which starts of with a funeral hymn on an organ, with a flute in the background. ‘Earth could not answer nor the seas that mourn and the thoughtful soul to solitude return’, my God this spoken word evokes so much feeling. As the guitars build and the song metamorphosis into the most gorgeous heavy despair ridden song. This isn't your typical metal, its a sound scape.

The title track starts out side C, melancholic acoustic sets the mood. The electric guitar comes up slowly, playing beautifully, and the rest of the band carry this beautiful, hypnotic instrumental on the pale horse of death.

Scripture Of Craltation and Punishment starts off with a uncomfortable howl as it starts with a slow, heavy dirge. It's literally what entering the gates of hell would sound like if it had a soundtrack. ‘how tall these trees, scent dampened by earth where darkness and cold shade reign. ‘

Side D contains last track A Picture of the Devouring Gloom Devouring the Spheres Of Being, starts of with the most beautiful and sinister sounding soft guitar intro with the rest of the band fading in, it is so enchanting in atmosphere, yet sorrow driven. This album is an incredible piece of musical art. That's the best way I can describe it. It's the heaviest, and darkest record you'll hear this year, but it also will entrance you with its beauty as well.