Athenaeum Of Sin Reviews

Malignant Aura – Abysmal Misfortune Is Draped Upon Me Review: A Death Doom Metal band from Australia. May 31st, 2022, the band released their debut studio album Abysmal Misfortune Is Draped Upon Me, which would gratify fans of Hooded Menace and Paradise Lost. The album was released through (now ceased to operate) Bitter Loss Records.

Malignant Aura – Abysmal Misfortune Is Draped Upon Me Review opens and discusses the FIRST SIN: THE STRINGS/KEYS. Consisting of dual guitar artistry of coalescing sorrowful melodies and bludgeoning riffs and an atmosphere drenched in feedback.

Let’s talk about the SECOND SIN: THE VOCALS, which involves death growls and clean singing.

Moving on to the THIRD SIN: THE PERCUSSIONS, which delves into the vast world of various tempo drum work and beats.

In our following discussion about the band’s musical work, we will focus on the FOURTH SIN, the overall DISCUSSION of the album. Immediately listener presses the play button, one is welcomed to the opening track, MALIGNANT AURA, which welcomes the listener with the opening of the instrumentation that is deep in distortion and heaviness -followed by lovely dark flowing melodies and crushing vocals – as one continues with the second track “In a Timeless Place Beneath the Earth” and the four remaining pieces.

 ABYSMAL MISFORTUNE IS DRAPED UPON ME seems to take the death-doom to the next level, with its sound and music, even its lyrics/songs … where each piece has its own unique identity and atmosphere and the composing of the music seems to allure the listener into this dark and haunting dream, at the same time, the music reads/plays like a Lovecraftian/Elgar A. Poe novelization of lyrical themes of death, despair, hopelessness, and melancholy – not forgetting the various compositions/characteristics which are convenient to place at the right moment (mention before each piece has its own identity).

Each song sounds and feels different, as one is flicking through a page of various stories – these consist of adding the aggression and ferocious of death metal and the slow dirge-like pace of funeral doom/crushing atmospherics of doom metal with some tint of suicide/depressive black metal, as if the listener feels plunged in this hypnotic, depressed/despair and hopelessness and even having this feeling of attending a funeral on a dismal rainy day.

At the same time, each instrumentation work has various changes in pitch/tempos, sounds, tones & moods, creeping passages, music channels this degradation of decay and anger, rot and terror, shroud of mournful harmonies, moments of an audio clip which sounds like ‘Vincent Price’ and narration passage which captures the sounds of Paradise Lost, Lovecraftian, or Edgar Allan Poe.

ABYSMAL MISFORTUNE IS DRAPED UPON ME feels like more of a modern/experimental death-doom in the vein of Hooded Menace, Convocation, and early Paradise Lost – thus creating something of their own -topped off with outstanding and incredible devilmanship, the songwriting and the composing of each piece are both compelling and astonishing, production and sound quality are both top-notch.

Highly enjoyable, entertaining, and captivating…

I wanted to share our thoughts and MEMORABILIA on the FIFTH SIN. Blown away by the whole lot! The band’s talent and songwriting ability are fantastic. These guys know how to make atmospheric and dark music – from start to finish, the album is intense and dark.

Let’s discuss the ARTWORK of the SIXTH SIN. I love the artwork, especially this was created by PAOLO GIRARDI, who also did the artwork for ANGEL RISING’s second album IMMORTAL VOLITION.

At the same time, the painting captures the horror, darkest, and terror of the music.

Finally, the review will close with the last sin, the SEVENTH SIN, the DISRELISH. With nothing to disrelish within the musical world of MALIGNANT AURA. This concludes the Malignant Aura – Abysmal Misfortune Is Draped Upon Me Review

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