Hailing from Germany is Frowning, a one-man funeral doom project by Val Atra Niteris. Frowning’s second album, Extinct, is a weighty slab of cold atmospherics that feels like a somber funeral procession.
“Nocturnal Void” is the first song from Extinct and features guest vocals from Stanislav Govorukha of Suffer Yourself. Slow, crushing riffs and chilling melodies work their way throughout the song and Niteris and Govorukha provide growls that feel devoid of anything but pain and sadness.
Cleaner guitar and whispered vocals make their way into “Nocturnal Void,” building a quiet tension before droning guitars and mournful vocals return to the forefront. These passages give Frowning’s heavy parts significantly more weight; they feel more suffocating after the quiet interlude.
“‘Nocturnal Void’ is musically inspired by worship, lyric is taken from Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Spirits Of The Dead,’ it features guest vocal from Stanislav Govorukha of Suffer Yourself,” Niteris says. “The idea was to create the atmosphere of a cold, mystical night and I think I succeed.”
Frowning will release Extinct through Black Lion Records on February 17. You can preorder it here.
