Doom metal has viability in many subgenres. Epic, melodic, funeral – the emotions ranging from heroic grandiosity to dreadful sorrow have been covered by the genre. More posing, gothic component is certainly another feasible direction doom metal could explore and Italians Abysmal Grief have been pushing into that territory ever since their first EP Mors Eleison. Sun & Moon Records reached back into the historical vault and is out with the re-release of this seminal work.

I have no better words to describe Abysmal Grief on the title track and Mysterium Umbrarum than cinema horror. The feeling is that of a creepy dungeon, but instead of sounding real, the music is very much movie like. It is dreadful, but artificially so. There is a creepy tone, low resonating bass, and a constant premonition that something terrible is about to happen … but you know it won’t be here, it won’t be happening to you, and you can watch it all unfold in panoramic fashion munching on popcorn. Guitars get meatier and churn repetitive riffs (title track), of which Mysterium Umbrarum could use more, keys flow in for further chill, and everything comes off as if from dark cathedral mass. Abysmal Grief patented and blueprinted gothic doomdeath, layering together guitars and clavesin (Mysterium Umbrarum) in the sound both bottom-dwelling tubed and sad at the same time. Low semi-clean voice is Omen reincarnated, very fitting, and sawing solo of the title track jars to the bone.

Turns out Paul Chain Violet Theatre preceded Abysmal Grief with this approach and one group of Italians properly acknowledged the other by covering Occultism. The cinematographic vista of desolate vastness is impressive and must have beckoned Abysmal Grief in their art. The Shroud is cult prayer, mumblings, moans and mysterious keyboards, a perfect piece to insert in the middle.

I don’t personally like horror movies, psychological or showy, and the atmosphere Abysmal Grief created doesn’t remind me of any motion picture in particular. I can imagine real aficionados falling all over these genre originators, or at least, early purveyors. For them this rare to come by EP re-release will be god send.