If you like long, drawn out songs played in a very slow tempo, funeral doom metal is for you. The definition of funeral doom is a crossover between death/doom metal and funeral dirge music. Don’t expect much instrumental action, the focus will be on creating a depressive mood at all times.
Personally, I’m not as sold on the funeral doom style as traditional death doom metal, but some bands, albums and songs are certainly good enough to get me going. This my guide to the funeral doom style. Tell me if I’m missing out on any good bands!
About the author
- Stefan Nordström
- Musician, songwriter, content creator, digital freelancer
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Bands: Desolator, Soliloquium, Ending Quest, Ashes of Life, Trees of Daymare, The Ashen Tree
- Social: Instagram | YouTube
Ahab
Origin: Germany
Recommended album: “The Call of the Wretched Sea” (2006)
Ataraxie
Origin: France
Recommended album: “Slow Transcending Agony” (2005)
Bell Witch
Origin: United States
Recommended album: “Mirror Reaper” (2017)
Chalice of Suffering
Origin: United States
Recommended album: “For You I Die” (2016)
Clouds
Origin: International
Recommended album: “Departe” (2017)
Clouds combines the long, slow funeral doom metal tendencies with soaring melodic death/doom metal. The songs are monumentally sad, and we’re treated with guest vocals from Jon Aldara (Hamferd, Barren Earth) and Pim Blankenstein (Officium Triste). It’s also a good transition for a death/doom metal fan who’s not completely into funeral doom yet. If you want in-depth information, read my “Departe” review right here on the site.
Colosseum
Origin: Finland
Recommended album: “Chapter 1: Delirium” (2007)
Comatose Vigil
Origin: Russia
Recommended album: “Not a Gleam of Hope” (2005)
Convocation
Origin: Finland
Recommended album: “Ashes Coalesce” (2020)
Finns know how to make twisted extreme metal, and Convocation is no exception.
Doom:VS
Origin: Sweden
Recommended album: “Dead Words Speak” (2008)
Doom:VS is the solo project from Draconian’s guitarist Johan Ericson. The song “Dead Words Speak” is one of my favorite doom metal songs, and it showcases what this album is about. The songs are slow and dirgey, and Johan’s clean vocals are truly tormented. It’s an excruciatingly sad album, and a good representation of the funeral doom genre. This project outshines Draconian by far in my book.
Ea
Origin: United states
Recommended album: “Ea taesse” (2006)
Ennui
Origin: Georgia
Recommended album: “Falsvs Anno Domini” (2015)
Esoteric
Origin: United Kingdom
Recommended album: “Epistemological Despondency” (1994)
Evoken
Origin: United Kingdom
Recommended album: “Antithesis of Light” (2005)
Eye of Solitude
Origin: United Kingdom
Recommended album: “Canto III” (2013)
Funeral
Origin: Norway
Recommended album: “Tragedies” (1995)
Fuoco Fatuo
Origin: Italy
Recommended album: “The Viper Slithers in the Ashes of What Remains” (2014)
HellLight
Origin: Brazil
Recommended album: “As We Slowly Fade” (2018)
Mournful Congregation
Origin: Australia
Recommended album: “The Monad of Creation” (2005)
Nortt
Origin: Denmark
Recommended album: Ligfærd (2005)
Omination
Origin: Tunisia
Recommended album: “NGR” (2021)
Shape of Despair
Origin: Finland
Recommended album: “Angels of Distress” (2001)
Skepticism
Origin: Finland
Recommended album: “Alloy” (2008)
Skepticism is a true funeral doom metal band, complete with organs and moods more suiting for a chapel than a metal gig. Their sound is a bit too far from “normal” death/doom to be completely enjoyable for me, but if I would define funeral doom with one band it would probably be Skepticism.
Slow
Origin: Belgium
Recommended album: “V – Oceans” (2017)
Thergothon
Origin: Finland
Recommended album: “Stream From the Heavens” (1994)
Tyranny
Origin: Finland
Recommended album: “Tides of Awakening” (2005)
Un
Origin: United States
Recommended album: “Sentiment” (2018)
Very ominous-sounding and well-produced modern funeral doom.
Woe unto Me
Origin: Belarus
Recommended album: “Among the Lightened Skies the Voidness Flashed” (2017)
Worship
Origin: Germany
Recommended album: “Dooom” (2007)
Vouna
Origin: United States
Recommended album: “Vouna” (2018)
Woebegone Obscured
Origin: Denmark
Recommended album: “The Forestroamer” (2018)
Danish funeral doom metal band with a long career behind them. I’m quite surprised that they’re not more famous, given the solid quality of 2018’s “The Forestroamer”.
Soliloquium is not funeral doom, but you might like it anyway
My band Soliloquium is not funeral doom metal, but almost; a progressive and melodic take on death/doom. If you enjoy the more melancholic and dynamic side of extreme metal it might be for you. Would be awesome if you gave it a shot!
Soliloquium links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube
Read more:
Full doom metal genre guide ->
10 essential death/doom metal albums ->
