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Funeral Doom: A Death by the Seaside - Demo (2019)

65 / 100
A decent demo, but far from essential. More of a curiosity for completists and demo hunters than a must-listen.
A Death by the Seaside was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and already released a full-length album in 2021, but do I really care when I’m just a freebies hunter? So here I am, grabbing their demo instead of the debut album.

This demo consists of two funeral doom songs with a total duration of 23 minutes, built on a foundation of synth and organ to create an atmospheric mood, though it doesn’t quite reach the soul. Vocals are delivered by Gina with clean, echoing tones in a gothic/doom style, combined with Stefan’s growls that are deep and restrained. In detail, the growls appear in the early and sixth minute of track “I,” and during the first, midway through the second, and peaking at 03:45 of track “II.” Their vocal style reminds me of Siege by The Slow Death.

As usual, between casual and reviewing session, the guitar sound at first feels rather rough, but with closer listening it’s not all that bad, though sometimes the sustain isn’t executed well, especially in the first track. The bass clarity is inconsistent, though strongest in the first track, while the drumming follows the standard funeral doom formula, focused on snare and cymbals with just enough echo.

Meanwhile, a short spoken words sample at 00:31–00:35 in the first track is the most interesting element for me, alongside Gina’s vocals as a promising component. However, overall the demo still feels ordinary, and it might be better to jump directly into their debut album, which already has its own review out there.

[The review also posted on Metal Archives.]

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