Patient and diabolical Funeral Doom, DEBER create slow rolling waves of darkness crashing on a shore of atmosphere. The colossal sound is the result of two seasoned professionals taking a step away from other long-standing projects to push into deeper, darker territory with DEBER's debut album "Aspire to Affliction".

In just 38 minutes, the band have created an emotional and epic narrative, thanks to the infernal vocal performance, enduring drums and sweeping, crushing riffs, the album is engrossing from start to finish. Having recorded the album in the woodlands of Uppsala, Sweden, the songs seem to have absorbed the dense darkness and evil energy of the forest, added to by the utilization of the organ, a long-standing staple of Funeral Doom that adds a mighty kick to the atmosphere for a wonderful final product.

Opening the album is the titular track, a haunting, esoteric movement of deep sonic pulses, industrial steam sound effects and droplets of water, the reverbed ringing of a church bell. Culminating in a dense organ measure that is overlayed with a shrill whistle. As far as introduction tracks go, this one is certainly interesting, elements that feel disjointed working together to create a deep sense of dread. The deep tones of the pulses and drips of water would suggest the music is taking us somewhere underground, where the presence of a sudden organ would be terrifying.  A deep 808 sub bass brings forth a crashing of drums and grand melody in a very nice transition moment. The drums, guitars and organ work in tandem to create a dense sound, slow and building, in which the punchy bass drum kick cuts through. The guitars are fuzzy and composed, expertly crafted riffs overlay the grandiose chords to create a constantly moving sea of sound. Coarse and tranquil, Hcf's vocals come in powerfully and stay at that same level, the slow pace allowing for an impassioned delivery that offers a range of emotions from aggressive to melancholy.

"Soulbind" pushes the album to thundering new heights, the vocal performance stands out here as the vocalist approaches the colossal sound with a contrasting leisure, massively contributing to the Funeral Doom vibe. The throaty roars convey pain more than aggression, and this, combined with the slow, soft drums and sustained guitar chords gives the first half a strong melancholy atmosphere. The thumping build of drums in the second half couples with the denser guitar work to create some energy, builds into an echo of the first half, sustained guitar strums and sparser drums that drag the track into murky depths.

DEBER create a very big sound with very little, the atmosphere perfectly encapsulates that of Funeral Doom bands that have come before. The organ work and excellent vocal delivery is the main highlight, and the slow, brooding guitar work creates the dense ringing sound, whereas the drums felt lacklustre and a little disappointing. The production is great, conveying every detail and mixing the instruments with the vocals nicely to create a constant wall of noise even in the sparser sections.