FOREVER FALLING is a two man doom metal group, consisting of John Suffering (CHALICE OF SUFFERING, SOLEMN ECHOES) and Tullio Carleo (VOYAGE NOIR). This Italian and American duo formed in 2020 and "Suspended Over The Immanent" is their full length debut. This is top tier doom metal. "Suspended Over The Immanent" is slow, depressing, and dense in scope. This eight track, forty seven minute long album is about as happy as a funeral. For doom fans, that is a very good thing!

The overall approach of the album is monolithic like funeral doom but trades a cavernous sound for a more Gothic approach, not unlike the early albums from the Peaceville Three or early KATATONIA.  However, I think this album may be even more depressing-at the very least, its bleakness in its presentation is staggering. With that being said, this isn't completely hopeless.  I've heard plenty of doom, especially of the funeral variety, where there is no light to be had-utter lost from the approaching darkness.  This album?  It gets low, low, low but never completely gives up.  You might have to walk through hell itself but there is light somewhere if you just keep trudging on.

The album starts off with a classical, refined approach by opening with the tragically beautiful instrumental intro "Bless This Floor." Keyboards and violin canvas their art in a slow moving and subtle approach. It sets the album up well and adds a bit of charm to what is surely one of the lowest levels of sadness I've heard all year. The song fades off into silence but that makes the sudden burst of guitars and death growls in "Dark Friend" all the more effective. John's vocals are very low and mix in as another part of the songs instrumental flow. True to his last name, he sounds truly pain filled like he is on the verge of giving up. It is hard to convey such strong emotions using death growls so hats off to him. His clean vocals are just as insufferable, a low deep hum that reminds me of WOODS OF YPRES' David Gold (RIP). Though the song is crushing in places, the sense of raw melody is never far away especially with the clean keys and bass guitar. Around the 2:17 mark, the biting guitar tone keeps the glacial riffs deadly as anything more extreme.

The album isn't afraid to take doom out of its claustrophobic corners with the huge and expansive opening of "My Tears My Life" which sounds bombastic in a doom metal way. The melodic tones allow the song a nice, open flow. The riff drops and double bass ensure the misery comes along with it. John sounds like he is crawling out from being buried alive-a great performance on  his part. "Only Emptiness" is one of my favorite songs on the album because it nails down a strong Gothic doom vibe. The combination of the keys, bass and spoken word in the the first part of the song are haunting and lead perfectly into the rest of the song.

Afterward, the band leans heavily on death doom but still throws in clean section with epic keys that ties the whole epic together. The last minute and half is a dirge of funeral sounds and sweltering darkness that ends the song as it should. The final track "Dark Painting of The I" is, at times, one of the heaviest songs on the album. The early riffs are thick as mud and just sort of hang like static, weighing down the atmosphere with constant clouds. John's vocals are downright guttural, only marginally human. The mid section with the Spanish style guitar is genius and well placed to keep the song interesting.  All in all, FOREVER FALLING's  "Suspended Over The Immanent" is a nice surprise in this year's second half and a striking debut album.