Much like the funeral mood, “Gospel of Bones” is mournful, and the music deals with a sort of anguish and despair, making it the most depressing album I’ve heard this year; the slow passages in the songs are very atmospheric and slow. While the album is rooted in gothic doom, the musical procession treads between the melodic violin and lead guitars; the drums are steady in lifting the tempo.

The album’s opener “Too Young to Die” surrounds you with sheer darkness and melancholy; there are overt influences of early gothic doom metal bands such as Type O Negative and My Dying Bride, especially the baroque vocals of Eirik Krokfjord are very similar to those of the Swedish gothic doom band Diabolique. Funeral balances the pacing of the songs with the violin instrument, there are somber and elegant touches of the piano accompanied by the rhythmic guitar riffs that make the music so unique. Its plodding drums and the sweeping misery of the hymnal vocals keep the expression so bleak and menacing in the following song “Yestertear”.

The atmosphere is brilliantly crafted and most of the time the music builds on the slower pacing of the drums with the violin stretching landscapes. There isn’t much dueling between the soprano singing and the baroque vocals, Funeral amassed a unique musical setting that adds to the bleak atmosphere.

The riffs on “Procession of Misery” are dismal, there is a feel to the funereal tempo and mostly the guitars focus on dreary melodies; the songwriting evokes the dream-like quality of funeral mass, and you become drawn to the mournful requiem. The straightforward gothic doom approach is one of the elements that can be said about “Gospel of Bones” and there is an emphasis on the dommy riffs with somber dirges as the tempo moves towards heavier and darker riffs.

“These Rusty Nails” is among the highlights of the album, showcasing the vocals of Eirik Krokfjord; the riffs enhance the crushing style of doom metal, and it is quite remarkable how Funeral bridges these styles without using any gimmicks. The atmosphere then combines sweet miserable instruments like the violin, dramatic vocals, and lamenting melodies creating a depressing feeling that is intense and rich.

“Ailo’s Lullaby” is a short interlude that leads to another sorrowful song that begins with a guitar dirge, the drums like the guitar are effective as they bring dreary vocal choruses. The lush instruments like the guitar strings, bass, and drumming performance create enough room for the violin to shine.

The Norwegian sextet breaks the monotonous mode in “To Break All Hearts of Men” which offers some heavy riffs and haunting organ instruments at the end. The slow passages remain the best and most atmospheric elements of the album, and despite the overwhelming misery and the doom metal cadence, the music is brimming with powerful guitar riffs while there aren’t any similarities to bands like Theatre of Tragedy, Funeral has built its trademark upon the ashes of the funeral doom metal style.

“Når Kisten Senkes” combines compelling elements from the crushing sound of the guitars and the menacing vocals inducing a bleak atmosphere and the subdued tone of the violin sweeps throughout the song leaving you in a claustrophobic place so desolate.

The omnipresence of the dismal mood in the closing track “Three Dead Men” resonates deeply with the listener’s experience, there is so much majesty in crushing guitar work and the solemn spoken words that conjure a certain aura of darkness veiled around it.

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