ALBUM REVIEW: Mournful Congregation,‘The Incubus Of Karma’

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type:Full Length

Date Released:23/03/2018

Label:Osmose Productions (EU) |

20 Buck Spin (US)

This band has always been the gold standard when it comes to dense, emotive funeral doom, but this latest hallmark in their discography takes that heart-shredding melancholy to its furthest extreme yet.  This is Mournful Congregation’s crowning achievement. ‘The Incubus Of Karma’ is a fucking masterpiece.

‘The Incubus Of Karma’ CD/LP/CS/DD track listing:

1. The Indwelling Ascent

2. Whispering Spiritscapes

3. The Rubaiyat

4. The Incubus of Karma

5. Scripture of Exaltation and Punishment

6. A Picture of the Devouring Gloom Devouring the Spheres of Being

The Review:

I sit here struggling to find the right words, or really any words at all, to convey the weight and impact of ‘The Incubus Of Karma’, Mournful Congregation’s first new album in over six years. I’ll do my best, anyway. This band has always been the gold standard when it comes to dense, emotive funeral doom, but this latest hallmark in their discography takes that heart-shredding melancholy to its furthest extreme yet.

To get this out of the way immediately; the lead guitar work throughout ‘The Incubus Of Karma’ is absolutely incredible. I’m not just talking about their trademark thick, layered guitar harmonies. I’m talking about those ascendant high-fret leads that sail and glide above them. Each and every one of them is immaculately composed and performed in a manner meant to cut even the most callous facades to the quick. Whether it’s during a devastating funeral crawl or a plaintive low-dynamic interlude, the sorrow just doesn’t let up. It’s mercilessly sad.

The crux of this entire album is the band largely deciding to stay out of the way of the guitars. Drums, vocals, bass, and keyboards: they’re all in almost exclusively supporting roles. Drummer Tim Call is also known also for his work in bands like Aldebaran, Nightfell, and Weregoat, and in each of those bands, his drumming is considerably more active than his performance here. I’d be shocked if he averaged more than one actual drum fill every 2-3 minutes in total.

This isn’t a criticism, by the way. It may be a uniquely bare bones performance, but it’s exactly what the music calls for. Even his drum sound is subdued, with a snare sound that recalls that of the first Danzig album, drenched in reverb, and the cymbals mixed even quieter than normal for a Mournful Congregation album.

Again, the guitars are the axis on which ‘The Incubus Of Karma’ spins. If you’re looking for a specific example, look no further than the album’s instrumental title track. The song is an absolute testament to the astonishing emotion that lead guitar can conjure, as these ultra expressive solos cascade over gentle acoustic guitar. And there’s equally brilliant leads all over the album. These aren’t note-spamming, “virtuosity for its own sake” solos. It’s all about the articulation, the bending of notes in a specific way to wring every last ounce of passion and sadness from the strings.

Look, if it feels like I’m just spouting label and band-friendly hyperbole, I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to do because as I sit here writing this, that’s all I feel does the album justice. One of my biggest pet peeves in metal is an album going longer than an hour. This album is damn near 80 minutes and I can’t think of any section I want shorter or cut altogether. That just doesn’t happen for me. It’s made the strongest early impression of any album so far this year, and the strongest early impression of any funeral doom album I’ve ever heard. This is Mournful Congregation’s crowning achievement. ‘The Incubus Of Karma’ is a fucking masterpiece.

‘The Incubus Of Karma’ is available in Europe through Osmose, or through 20 Buck Spin in North America.

Band info: Facebook