Embracing the dissolving fortitudes of an individual entrenched in their own dissociative exodus from reality Utrecht, Netherlands-based melodic funeral doom metal trio Angmodnes once again channel dismal mental health and nihilistic outlook in characterizing their take on slow, funereal atmospheric melodic metal. Though this project has been in stages of milling and mulled-over misery for a decade ‘Rot of the Soul‘ is still very much a debut full-length album, a promising step forward rather than a purely defining signature moment as they produce above-average and effectively engaging melodrama. What they may lack in distinction is assuaged by performative variety and drearily delivered heft, a sound which manages to stretch away from typified melodic death/doom metal rhythms just often enough.

Angmodnes formed as a duo circa 2013, a side project from guitarist, vocalist, bassist Y.S. and drummer M.V. both of whom are members of death/doom metal band Apotelesma as well as contributors to several atmospheric black metal projects in their area. Finding a funereal lurch to their newly explored co-misery, they’d apparently taken inspiration from bands such as Doom:VS, Swallow the Sun and Shape of Despair for a set of songs largely written in their year of formation and picked up and realized circa 2022 with their ‘The Weight of Eternity‘ EP which I’d reviewed in brief, considering their first steps average yet “a fairly classic mixture of funeral doom and melodic death/doom metal, providing the ideal soundtrack to this listlessly wandering vision,” and I’d seen some potential there in the vein of groups you’d most often find on a label like Solitude Productions this last decade or so, romanticist or even gothic extreme doom which fit one of a few hyper-specific niches.

‘Rot of the Soul‘ doesn’t entirely press the high-dramatic climes of Angmodnes entirely outside of the realm of “sub-genre” music but it does offer some manner of developments in personal style and broadened range which ensures progress is felt within their craft, and that these choices never read fickle or particularly forced. In attempting to depict conflicted mental anguish, the suffering of uncertainty and the existential doubt lingering atop an individual they are forced to betray the auld traditions of funeral doom and funeral death/doom in the sense that once again we could simply point to their main points of influence and see the essential outline of a mid-paced melodic death/doom metal band with some atmospheric black metal nods (“Agony of the Sun”) taken on the sly. The frozen air and Eldritch goth hearted muse of funeral doom is traded for pacing which is never so morose, nor are the loud-quiet dynamics of their music interested in the stark and lo-fi contrasts of the sub-genre. There is no assured suffering set upon the listener and as such the air is thick with extra-communicative and steady momentum. This is less a criticism and more a suggestion that the funeral doom classicist will find this more attuned to the gothic and dark metal side of death/doom. Expect equal parts clean and roared vocals, a dramatic weight to all rhythms, and a few lead-driven melodies to carry the experience through its ~hourlong set.

One aspect of this “melodic death/doom” feeling comes by way of returning vocalist F.S., who’d guested on ‘The Weight of Eternity‘ but has now been added to the official line-up for this debut as her vocals now feature more often, contributing haunting chorales and backing layers to the peak of nearly all of the five songs included. They’ve not brought those talents into the absolute forefront yet but her presence does bring some additional character to the already impressive clean and growled states offered by Y.S. as opener “Beneath” and closer “Rot of the Soul” both do well to showcase the full range and contribution of each vocalist and prove that they’ve got a heavier death/doom edge which reaches a thundering kinda hi-fi level of loud as the whole entity lurches and lunges at once. Much as I’d appreciated those substantive bookends on the full listen it was the middle portion of the album, specifically piano ’til wall of riff striking of “The Hours” and the most surprising genre-bending peaks of “Agony of the Sun” that’d convinced me I should pay closer attention to what Angmodnes are doing here. The former song has a very clear revelatory structure which opens into a clean-sung chasm in the middle, framed by growling death-doom riffs and helps reaffirm the traits introduced by “Beneath” but it is the latter piece which sold me on the album a bit more.

Another neatly set piano introduction greets “Agony of the Sun” before they dive right into a rasping blackened-death strike of buzzing rhythm, seemingly inspired by more recent dark metal dissonance from October Tide as its main verse riffs being to clamber in. The song itself never sits still, burning through some post-metallic wheeling movement and a rousing heavy metal jog of a chorus in between and in this sense we are getting the most out of Angmodnes many capabilities on this very focused and surprisingly active piece. The momentum of the album its at its hottest as this point ends and “Stagnant” doesn’t necessarily uphold that rush as much as it allows for the record to begin to wallow and recede after its peaking mania was revealed. Though this song is tuneful in some respect and the vocal tones are consistently expressive it highlights just how good these folks are at setting up seeming emotionally driven movements without necessarily communicating those emotions directly with lyrics are are indecipherable or melodies which cut out or half form. Several moments hit along the way but no one song fully lands as well-rounded or outwardly tuneful.

Though it isn’t a perfect album for my own taste in funeral death/doom and melodic death/doom adjacent music there are plenty of reasons to admire Angmodnes‘ pivot beyond their debut EP here, namely a focus on incorporating different points of inspiration which help their sound to stand out enough to warrant a handful of listens. ‘Rot of the Soul‘ didn’t ultimately stick around on my regular routine all that long but their general presentation, evocative album art, strong production values, and expressive work point toward greater potential than before and provide at least a few songs which I’d enjoyed quite a bit, enough that I’ll continue to keep my ear pressed against what they’re up to next. A moderate recommendation.

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