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Comatose Vigil - Fuimus, Non Sumus... review



Reviewer:
7.2

14 users:
8.43
Band: Comatose Vigil
Album: Fuimus, Non Sumus...
Style: Funeral doom metal
Release date: September 12, 2011
A review by: BitterCOld


01. Fuimus, Non Sumus...
02. Autophobia
03. The Day Heaven Wept

Fuimus, Non Sumus? translates to We Are, We Are Not. That in mind?

Fuimus a funeral doom band from Russia.

Non Sumus that whole brevity thing.

The album might only feature three songs on the track list, but each of the three is a virtual sonic marathon. The shortest of the three, "Autophobia" is a paltry 23 minute and change long? So the songs are loooooooooooonger than a Cricket tourney, but are they good?

Sure, they are.

This is funeral doom with a recipe not particularly different than other bands in the genre. Distorted guitars, plodding drums, growled vocals, all wrapped into one funeral doom burrito courtesy of a keyboard tortilla that wraps the whole thing up into one nice, portable, and not particularly messy enjoyable package.

One hand their songs leave me with an impression not too dissimilar from Shape Of Despair, only if they stretched their songs on and on and on. It sounds well enough and sits nicely in the back ground, tugging a little at your attention? But it lacks some of the more raw horrifying emotions that connect to the listener to separate them from others in the Fun Doom pack.

It didn't bore me, not by any means, but nor did it terrify me.

This album is a lot like whatever AMC will be airing at 1am tonight as part of their "Two Weeks of Terror" pre-Halloween schedule? should I come home from a bar after a few (dozen) pints, I could put either on and would not be bored or disappointed.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 6
Production: 8





Written on 28.10.2011 by BitterCOld has been officially reviewing albums for MetalStorm since 2009.


Comments

Comments: 8   Visited by: 123 users
28.10.2011 - 06:22
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Staff
I was actually a bit disappointed with this. It might have been due to the length, but there seemed to be too little going on to justify three 20+ minute songs.

The first time I listened to it I almost forgot about it immediately after, which is already a bad sign. I listened to it a few weeks later and felt the same way about it. Decent, but nothing I'd recommend to anyone looking to get into funeral doom.
----
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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28.10.2011 - 10:15
serega25
I liked this album very much. I think, that Fuimus, Non Sumus is not such frightening, as previous, but atmosphere of cold darkness and horror is present here in large quantities. I give it 9 and and plus one point for stylish funeral cover.
Excellent work.
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28.10.2011 - 11:01
Much more polished and "mainstream" (if I can use this term ) than their previous effort, but still one of the best funeral releases this year. It lacks the intensity and aggressiveness of bands like Abstract Spirit, but it's great background music for a full moon night with the lights off...

Review a bit short and superficial, if I have to tell the truth... and BTW, the title translates as "We have been, we are not", (fuimus is past tense in Latin, not present... otherwise it would have been "Sumus, non sumus") and this, I'm afraid, wrecks the first few lines of your review...
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28.10.2011 - 14:40
Daniell
_爱情_
Elite
Mid-range doom band. A 6 from me.
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28.10.2011 - 18:13
Rating: 7
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Admin
Written by Merchant of Doom on 28.10.2011 at 11:01

Much more polished and "mainstream" (if I can use this term ) than their previous effort, but still one of the best funeral releases this year. It lacks the intensity and aggressiveness of bands like Abstract Spirit, but it's great background music for a full moon night with the lights off...

Review a bit short and superficial, if I have to tell the truth... and BTW, the title translates as "We have been, we are not", (fuimus is past tense in Latin, not present... otherwise it would have been "Sumus, non sumus") and this, I'm afraid, wrecks the first few lines of your review...

meh. sorry you find my review superficial (well, not really) - perhaps that is a reflection of the impression the album left? maybe an intentionally succinct approach to counter an album with three songs exceeding twenty minutes in length?

sounded good but didn't leave a significant emotional impression.
----
get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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28.10.2011 - 19:05
Written by BitterCOld on 28.10.2011 at 18:13

Written by Merchant of Doom on 28.10.2011 at 11:01

Much more polished and "mainstream" (if I can use this term ) than their previous effort, but still one of the best funeral releases this year. It lacks the intensity and aggressiveness of bands like Abstract Spirit, but it's great background music for a full moon night with the lights off...

Review a bit short and superficial, if I have to tell the truth... and BTW, the title translates as "We have been, we are not", (fuimus is past tense in Latin, not present... otherwise it would have been "Sumus, non sumus") and this, I'm afraid, wrecks the first few lines of your review...

meh. sorry you find my review superficial (well, not really) - perhaps that is a reflection of the impression the album left? maybe an intentionally succinct approach to counter an album with three songs exceeding twenty minutes in length?

sounded good but didn't leave a significant emotional impression.

sorry, I can see I worded it badly... I meant "superficial" as in "not in-depth enough"... I re-listened it to it today... I think they just overdid it a bit with the keyboards...
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02.11.2011 - 05:54
Susan
Smeghead
Elite
"Non Sumus that whole brevity thing."




Seriously though, this review did intrigue me. Funeral doom is not my usual brand of doom but I'm too curious not to have a listen. It was probably the burrito reference. I'm addicted to burritos.
----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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02.11.2011 - 06:04
Rating: 7
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Admin
Written by Susan on 02.11.2011 at 05:54

Seriously though, this review did intrigue me. Funeral doom is not my usual brand of doom but I'm too curious not to have a listen. It was probably the burrito reference. I'm addicted to burritos.

i'm not so much addicted to burritos as, specifically, bacon, potato, egg, and cheese breakfast burritos... and the ones in that foodstand in Portland, with mushrooms as well.. zomg.
----
get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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