Funeral doom is a quirky bird. A sub-sub-genre that inspires near-fanatical reverence from its fans, and utter bewilderment for those unfamiliar with its methods. It is glacially slow, brooding, and as the name suggests, focused on the sorrow and melancholy in life. Mournful keyboards are frequent, along with the riff-heavy guitar work. Innovation happens in new albums of course, but, as a whole, the fanbase is less likely to appreciate the inclusion of other, perhaps more expansive genres, than some other communities.  And one of the godfathers of the genre is the nearly universally respected Pantheïst. Created, and led by composer, keyboardist, and vocalist Kostas Panagiotou. A long-standing stalwart who strives to keep creating within the genre. The band has recently released their latest opus, ‘Closer to God,’  a varied and frequently moving piece of cinematic funeral doom; and for those receptive, it offers much.

Cinematic is an appropriate description given by the band, in terms of the actual composition, and also the flow and scope of the whole. As there are only four songs, I can’t really skip any, so all will be talked about. The opening track “Strange Times” begins with an eerie ambiance, and the immediate feeling that one is listening to a soundtrack for a film. Soon it is joined with the first heavy guitar riffs of the album, and the nearly 24-minute journey begins in earnest. I was a bit surprised to hear on my first listen that the first vocals were spoken word, only slowly leading into the deep growls that are typical of the genre. But unexpected is what this album is all about, and each twist and turn offers more with each listen. “Strange Times” is aptly titled, as like with many bands, this ongoing pandemic touches their work and causes reflection. This is not to say it is a theme of the album, but isolation and loneliness are still present. Even in the recording process, the album was recorded by four musicians over multiple countries and continents. It is difficult to focus on too many things with a track of this nature, as the movement is very fluid and contains lengthy instrumental sections that are very quiet and atmospheric. The real joy is to hear the guitar and key work that is in the background, rather than in the forefront. Kostas’s subtle keyboard style is always tasteful and fitting, and the occasional guitar solos played by lead guitarist Jeremy Lewis (Mesmur) both lift and carry the song towards its conclusion.

The following songs “Erroneous Elation” and “Wilderness” I will talk about together, as the two pieces go directly together. The cinematic nature of the album comes to the forefront here, specifically a film about the old American West. The spirit and influence of the great Italian composer Ennio Morricone is abundant, and the image of Clint Eastwood’s ‘Man With No Name’ is hard to keep out of my mind. Kostas adds acoustic guitar to his resume for the album, but the piece is mostly focused on ambiance. Once “Wilderness” begins the heavy riffs return, and the listener is greeted by the precise, yet subtle, drumming of John Devos (Mesmur, Blighted Eye) which is highly effective at tying everything together with bassist Matt Strangis (Kyam), and the additional guitar by Nereide (Hidden in Eternity). The heaviness of the track is broken around the 8-minute mark, and Kostas appears alone, playing the piano and singing in clean vocals. The lyrics are quite poetic, and it is really quite a beautiful interlude. The remainder of the song features some of the fastest music and riffing on the album and highly engaging guitar work.

The album closes with “Of Stardust, We Are Made (and to Dust We Shall Return),” which begins with slightly distorted, yet mostly clean guitar, before the brief organ intro, and more clean singing. This section has a bit more of a post-rock, bordering on prog-rock feel to it, particularly with the guitar phrasing. There is nothing really traditional about any of the music or approach on this album, and that is precisely why it works so well. The music remains mostly heavy throughout but remains airy, I would say spacelike for lack of a better term. The latter half features faster and more frenzied drumming, and some rather prog-sounding solos courtesy of Jeremy. Of all the songs, it most closely feels like the musician representation of the landscape on the cover art. A surprisingly peaceful, yet totally fitting conclusion to the album.

As I am sadly late to the party (thank you covid) there is little else I can say about ‘Closer to God’ that hasn’t already been said. But this is a unique vision presented on a grand scope, and masterfully performed by a group of musicians joined for a single purpose. Pantheïst have released one of the best metal albums of 2021, not only in funeral doom but across genres. Funeral doom fans should certainly give it a listen, but so should any fans of more progressive and cinematic music in general. Highly recommended.