Some Metal musicians become legends in the way of some of their past works. The older the musician, more important he (she) is. Even in extreme Metal genres and from those bands that we can call as cult band, there are famous musicians. So, on the work of the North American quartet AKATHARTA, we have a living legend in the band, and "Spiritus Immundus", their first album, is a fine show of what is called Funeral Doom Metal.

As a singer, we have Kam Lee. Although his band mates are experienced musicians with many works, he is the most notorious due his works on earlier incarnations of MANTAS/DEATH, for his singing on the album "From Beyond" and on the EP "Inhuman Condition", both works from MASSACRE. So, you can have the clear idea of what is AKATHATA is about: a slow and bitter form of Funeral Doom Death Metal, aggressive and using abusively low tunes on each musical instrument, along with that funereal aura that infuses melancholy and terror on all the listeners. But on the vocals, once more you'll hear a very good work, with the particular low tuned grunts that Kam uses since the 80s.

The recording sessions happened on several studios, so we can assume that Dennis "DerClint" Israel had a difficult work on mixing and mastering "Spiritus Immundus". But his work was really very good, because the band is sounding brutal and somber, with that raw insight of bands of their genre. Of course, you will understand what the band is playing, but with that raw and dirty Old School insight used by the band. The cover created by Malaysian illustrator Irwan Ironworx is really amazing.

Be prepared, for their funeral procession chants are really very good. We can say that the slow and bitter guitars of "Macabre Reflections in the Dark", the destructive paced tempos of the sad "Onryō (Wrath of a Vengeful Ghost)" that presents a fine work on bass guitar and drums, the excellent grunts and snarls that comes from "Tenebrarum in Aeternum" and "Phantasmagories" (with even some agonizing clean voices in some parts), the bitter depressive felling that fills "Possessione Diabolica", and their personal version for old CELTIC FROST's song, "Dethroned Emperor" are their finest moments.

Nothing new at all, but it is so good...