Mosara - Rumour of a Funeral

Mosara is a doom metal band from Phoenix, Arizona who formed in 2005 and finally hitting the scene in 2019 with their self-titled demo.  Their latest album, ‘Rumour of a Funeral,” is their third full length album; they have also released an EP.

“Rumour of a Funeral,” is a pretty extreme album.  I can hear some elements of post and sludge in it too, which only adds to the album’s potent mix of doomed melancholy and crushing sonic palpitations.  Of course, doom isn’t the happiest genre but that doesn’t mean it can’t be emotional—this album definitely is.  After all, not all emotions are happy ones!  

The whole album is suffocating and not just in the oppressive atmosphere for dense riffs but also in the production and mix.  It sounds absolutely immense and palpable….the audio version of a panic attack that precedes a bought of depression.  Doom is easily my favorite genre of all time and I love when a band embraces the sounds of darkness—Mosara not only embraces but chokes it to death.  Making death dead is no easy feat and the results are frightening.  

With a runtime of just over 45 mins across 5 songs, it isn’t an overly long album but uses its time well, each song colored with different shades of gray and depth of blackness.  The instruments really have a lot of power too; each one has a huge, full richness to the tone.  

The album opens with the title track, which is a bold statement, but the band backs it up.  Did I mention they only have three members?  They sound as big as an army.  The song wastes little time, Tony settling in with a brutal, slow riff almost immediately.  His vocals are just as damaging, not-so restrained violence spewing from his lungs. Christopher’s bass and John’s drums provide a flow of molten lava that pushes the song ever forward atop its liquid metal foundation.  Around the 5:40 mark, the song gets so low and slow that my ears felt like they were sinking down into my throat.  And the riffs here are so goddamn menacing.  One hell of an opening song and title track. 

“Djinn,” is a beastly song with a length of just past 14 minutes.  Every minute is worth your time.  I like the bass heavy intro–there is nothing better in doom than a long intro and this song fucking delivers.  The cymbal work is perfectly placed, and paced, to accent all the darkness.  Very slight hints of what might be called melody exists within these epochs of the doom but its distant and cold—like being wet outside in freezing weather.  The song gets increasingly aggressive through its journey, transforming into a stalking behemoth.  

“Somewhere,” begins with truly sullen tones before the vocals begin their flesh peeling.  Is Tony in pain?  Is he going to be ok?  It sounds great for the listener, but I feel like after this performance, he threw up for 45 mins.  More quasi-melodies appear on this song, but they flow like the river of death, bringing with it all the nasty stuff of life.  After the 4:15 mark, the song speeds up for an earthquake inducing passage that isn’t soon forgotten.

Speaking of rivers…“Rivers of Blood,” is next and it’s one of my favorites on the album.  The beginning is just so brooding and foreboding.  The whole song is like being dragged across the floor, fingernails and tips breaking and splintering open as life is so tightly, but futilely, clinging to.   The lead guitar is very interesting, acting as a sort of demonic, psychedelic bonding experience.  The drums during the solo are fantastic too.  

“Amena,” ends the album on the shortest song, at less than 6 minutes in length.  But there is plenty to love here as the dread creeps in.  This is heavy on the mind fuck atmosphere…winding the album down on such a psychedelic/maddening note is the only way an album like this could go!  

Mosara’s “Rumour of a Funeral,” is an excellent doom metal album that has a special kind of extremity and perverse atmosphere.  Any fan of dark, caustic music will want this on their radar immediately. 

Rating: Great