On June 26, 2020, CATAFALQUE released "We Will Always Suffer." The UK band CATAFALQUE plays a mix of noise, drone, and metal. It formed as a collaboration between Thomas Ozers (THE DEAD YESTERDAYS) and Dan Dolby and Mike Shepherd (both of MASTIFF). Having reviewed a release of theirs ("Corpses") that was just released February 2020, I was happy to review another. A two disc album at over 100 minutes long, "We Will Always Suffer" is a worthwhile ride.

Your mind plays tricks on you when you're listening to plain noise and you hear what your brain wants you to hear in that indistinct wall of sound. CATAFALQUE is not afraid of experimenting with drone and adding to that indistinct noise. Many elements are incorporated to add interest and variety: clean and dirty vocals, strange and industrial sound effects, and traditional instruments. The noise and drone effects are apparent, but the metal aspect of the music is harder to pick out, it's simply another layer of noise. It is nevertheless extreme music. The noise can crescendo to quite jarring and disquieting levels.

The first track of the first disc "Enjoy The Violence" starts off with some innocuous tinkling. Then comes the soundtrack straight from a horror movie. It's a wall of eerie white noise and odd scraping. As somebody not used to the noise genre, this track is a decent length and gets its point across. In comparison, tracks like "You Are The Only One Here" are interesting at first, but could lose the listener's interest due to the length and repetitive nature. Fans of noise would find that meditative and sobering. "The Day Of Wrath (Dies Irae)" closes out the first disc. If Latin choral arrangements normally aren't intense enough, listen to this track. The clean singing and noise complement each other well. The noise adds to the already ominous atmosphere of Latin vocals and the clean singing cuts through the electronic noise clearly.

After a while of listening to the album, you may want a palate cleanser. "Not Even The Storm Could Wash These Hands Clean" is just that. There is a bit of creepy droning, but mostly rain effect and a somber and very slow piano arrangement. "Sepulchre" stands out with that electronic beat, a fine example of the industrial elements used on the album. The seemingly 15 minute closer "His Torment Will Never End" is really two sections separated by a lengthy silence. Sound clips are heavily used on this track, especially the last four minutes. I won't spoil it, but it's enough to drive anybody mad.

Overall, I recommend "We Will Always Suffer" to fans of noise and drone and to anybody interested in the genre. This band is a great one to start with. From the song titles to the atmosphere of the sound, the album is a complete package. The band has really delivered on their wish to provide a unique listening experience and to provide a soundtrack for mental illness.