UN – The Tomb of All Things
- Posted on 26-12-2015
Funeral doom, aetherical doom – the ultimate expression of patience when it comes to a sub-genre of metal. Starting in 2012, the Seattle, Washington four-piece Un embrace the tag, releasing two demos in 2013 prior to this 5 song debut album "The Tomb of All Things". At 53 minutes there is plenty to absorb, the vocals of guitarist Monte Mccleery deep in the bowels of growly death while musically the band break up the slow riff churn with atmospheric, introspective parts. Check out 5:15-6:20 of the 12 minute plus "Sol Marasmus" for the quieter, clean electric mood shift before the lethargy and sheer ten-ton chord choices level the airspace.
It’s as if the band open up beyond distortion and into a kaleidoscope of brooding, alternative outlooks, equally as somber yet quieter, like a painter choosing different brushes or canvases to develop a unique take on the final product. Drummer Andrew Jamieson sometimes waiting 10-12 seconds between snare hits as the guitars and bass ring out chilling chords during "Forgotten Path", the cymbal and bass drum tapping away to signal the beginning of the end before he gains more of an open, post-metal groove nature at the 4:52-5:39 portion of this 14:11 arrangement. The lead break section again a study in beauty through sparseness, single notes ringing out into the aural landscape building into melodic ecstasy. By the time the title track concludes on a relatively up-tempo note for Un (let’s not get too speedy here, we are talking more than a tri-athlete’s resting heart rate), post-metal guitar trilling still reverberates deep in the cortex as avid followers await the band’s next product.
If names like Pallbearer, Mournful Congregation, and Winter mean anything to you – along with a touch of that ambient, post-metal spark – Un are a band that need to soak deep into the mind, body, and soul of every human being. "The Tomb of All Things" resonates for one of the best funeral doom records in quite some time.