ninehertz

Ossifier hail from Marseille, offering this one-song demo as their introduction to the world. I usually wouldn’t think of reviewing a single-track release, but when it promises funeral doom, is beyond 13 minutes in length, and features members of Monarch and Reign then interest is piqued and I’m happy to bypass that usual guideline.

Much like the release by Bathypelagic earlier this year – one long-song, an exercise in doom extremity, storied previous bands – Ossifier craft more in here than others manage across a more conventional full album.

In its beginning, it is surprisingly bright through the light vocals, although the doom is slow, purposeful and increasingly dense. The voices slowly turn to a guttural darkness too, before an ethereal atmosphere sweeps in, a contamination of the blackness, an illuminating, engrossing contrast. The screams that enter are increasingly heartfelt and pained. It feels cinematic in its middle, an epic exploration of sound (a credit to the Sandford Parker mastering too).

It brings a purer doom ending, dropping to almost funeral pace, vocals now wails from within. And then breathe. That was some journey, an evolution of doom, where every passage adds to the story. They may only have one song to show, but Ossifier are instantly ones to follow with a keen interest.