Past Depression

Over the last decade depressive suicidal black metal (referred to by the acronym, DSBM) has attracted many black metal fans and non-metal listeners alike by being a bit of a laughing stock. Typical qualities of the sub-genre people will mock is the bad musicianship, production beyond “true kvlt”, the hilarious howling, drawn out guitar chords, one-man bands and drum machines. Of course we can all chuckle away at the numerous Happy Days demos and make jokes on how we feel suicidal after being exposed to A. Morbid’s guitar playing and his rumoured use of a Toys R Us karaoke machine as a recorder but something about Funeral Depression’s debut is different.

On first acquaintance Past Depression can sound no different from the hackneyed and talentless DSBM bands. Yes, there’s a drum machine, yes the production is terribly lo-fi and yes it’s a one-man band but this album manages to artfully avoid the clichés of endless horrid attempts this genre has suffered. The first thing to note is this work is totally instrumental. Usually this can mean two things; either the artist isn’t confident in their vocals but more often than not it is a statement that the music speaks for itself without the need for lyrics to deliver a message. The latter is certainly the case here with the sole member Belzebub showing full commitment to keeping the instrumentation varied and interesting.

The album and it’s eight songs are based around this theme of “past depression” and unlike say Happy Days’ Don’t Go or Forgotten Tomb’s Disheartened (widely recognised as a genre classic), Belzebub’s structures and arrangements never seem to fall into the minor, “emotional” riffs which are always plastered with ridiculous screams, howls and the stock "emotive" lead breaks. No, instead this music tends to a particular feeling or mood which sounds pertinent to a period of depression, and is tortured and tormented in a more subtle way which can be hard to decipher on initial listens. The album cover itself creates a bleak atmosphere with bare black trees and barbed wire on a white sky immediately suggesting a feeling of despondency without the need of nooses or razors, present on so many other releases.

The first sound made present is a tired and nauseous sounding synth which often acts as a background for most tracks. It helps to convey this sense of stale and existential sadness, and a disillusionment with life that most DSBM just fails to achieve - a well chosen keyboard patch indeed! The pace is slow with driven guitars wandering through this cold and baron environment Belzebub creates. Occasionally, the music will be stripped down to a naked bass line or acoustic guitar which plays the sincere but weary melody in it’s most minimal form. And that’s what makes this music so unique, it’s extremely minimalist but easily fulfils the purpose of creating this sound of “past depression.”

Surprisingly enough the drum machine works tremendously well, and the alternation between hi-hat patterns really helps to reinforce the shifts in pace and layers. No flashy fills are attempted here and the snare and cymbals sound deliberately artificial further adding to the sense of alienation and disconnection the listener experiences.

Repetition is abundant of course with a singe riff being developed over several layerings but this always helps to explore the spectrum of intensities of a particular mood a track creates. And with regards to the production quality, every element is clear and combined well to create a lo-fi but full, resonant sound. The tracks vary in length with evidence of some being clear centrepieces and others slight interludes but there never seems to be any filler, with every song having it’s own unique identity and atmosphere.

The track names could be viewed as nothing new and further laughter for the black metal populace but on the contrary they truly reflect the various moods across the album. The song “Pain of My Existence” has a very afflicted and meandering lead line which moves steadily emphasising this slow suffering and pain felt by the artist. “Another Sad Day,” however features a single guitar line which trudges along alone through a seemingly quiet and low-spirited world. Interestingly enough, the bass really helps to add some depth and feeling to a lot of the riffs Belzebub creates. On “Weeping Hunkering Sad Soul,” the bass provides a glum hook, bringing out the riff’s full potential.

This album is by no means a total masterwork. The technicality at times can seem limited but this never detracts from it’s purpose. Funeral Depression’s Past Depression transcends the bedroom black metal bands crying over their crushes and posing for suicide shots with a truly sad recording of genuine gloom and grief. Distance yourself from trite “emotion” riffs and immerse yourself in Belzebub’s sorrow if you want some depression in your music, and being from Poland, I would expect nothing less than high black metal quality.