MEIFU is a Metal band out of Florence, Italy, specializing in Psychedelic Doom. Although they are apparently Italian, they chose a Japanese name for their band. It translates to ‘hell.’ On July 5 they released their debut full-length studio album, “Haunted Dreams” via the mighty Argonauta Records. “Haunted Dreams” only comprises six tracks but runs for over 42 minutes. So, pack a lunch for this one. And if you have some wine or absinthe or some smokage, bring that along too.

One look at the cover (artwork by Silvicius) and you get the sense that MEIFU hangs in the deep end of the pool. Rendered in a Japanese art style, the cover depicts a body submerged upside down beneath cresting waves. In hermetic circles, water symbolizes the subconscious mind, so we get the idea that this isn’t an album about mermaids or drowning people, but rather, as the title suggests, being haunted by our own submersed impulses and mental reveries. Promo material, in fact, states the album focuses “on different stories united by the element of transformation and change, both lyrical and musical” and that it is “guided by ritualistic vocal interpretation of Mari, on a thoughtful and immersive path that transcends genres to reach an inner space of self-understanding and meditation.”

Yeah, like I said, the deep end of the pool.

Musically, they remind me of MAIDAVALE, only more spooky and less cheerful. They have a definitive Eastern flare which comes through partly from the eerie tones Tommy coaxes out of his guitar but also from Mari’s chant-like singing that is stationed well behind the sonic fortifications of the band. If you have ever been to the Middle East, her voice sounds like the call to prayer you hear at 4:30 a.m. from a mosque too far away to discern clearly, the words flowing together like one long word. But in this case, the words are in English, and they’re less a supplication against impending damnation and more a hearkening of ruin. This is Doom Metal after all.

Lyrically, there are some really cool things happening with this album. According to Mari, “Turkish Kraken” is about an “ancient and mysterious monster comes out from the depths to embody the anger of the oppressed women who want to overthrow the sultan of their times.” On a different continent, “Battle of Chapultepec” references the battle for Mexico City and the Niños Héroes. And then there is “Steerpike” which taps into Mervyn Peake’s Gormanghast trilogy and its antihero Steerpike. There are tons of bands and songs that honor Poe, Tolkien, and Lovecraft. It’s about time someone gave a nod to Peake. Other songs on the album refer to psychedelic mushrooms, “Cubensis”; deep meditation, “Third Eye Invocation”; and bodily transformation, “So Magic.” “So Magic,” btw, is also a carryover, though re-imagined, from MEIFU’s 2022 demo EP.

I understand MEIFU has been together for five years. Which is to say “Haunted Dreams” took a fair amount of crafting and marinating to get to final state. And it shows. “Haunted Dreams” is steeped in Eastern flourishes, served up with a fat side of metaphysics and healthy main of Psych Doom. A hearty fare, this one.