Funeral death/doom music is an acquired taste. I have dabbled in listening to several releases within this subgenre, and while I don't usually have the patience for such slowly-paced music, there are a handful of funeral death/doom albums that I enjoy. The newest album from the Long Island, New York duo, RIGOR SARDONICOUS, "Praeparet Bellum" is a strong contender for my ever-expanding list of enjoyable funeral death/doom albums. There is one caveat to this album that I'm not so sure about. All of the drums are programmed with a drum machine. When the drum programming is used to increase the beats per minute to an almost inhuman level as MORTICIAN and AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED do, the drum beats are so fleeting that it is hard to notice the "too perfect" sound of each beat. When funeral doom bands use programmed drums, the music is in danger of sounding emotionless and dull. In the case of RIGOR SARDONICOUS on "Praeparet Bellum," the drum programming is done exceptionally well and serves to properly enhance every track.

The album opener, "Caelum Ardere Vidistis," with its perfectly-timed cymbal crashes, guttural vocals, and fuzzy guitar notes left me wanting more after its four-minute runtime concluded. The tracks get longer as the album progresses and the ideas on this track are explored in more depth throughout the length of the album. "Praeparet Bellum" hits its stride with "Vita Cantus," the fourth track. My only complaint about this track is that, after the first three tracks, the percussion becomes somewhat predictable. That aside, the pacing is well-done. This song doesn't lag at all and managed to hold my attention throughout. This seven-and-a-half-minute track also displays the overall album production well. "Ex Finitim" follows "Vita Cantus" and speeds things up a notch. This track is faster-paced than most funeral doom songs and is a welcome respite after the pacing of the first four tracks. Also, the buzzing guitar makes an excellent backdrop for the higher-pitched lead guitar notes. Every note is played both carefully and deliberately.

"Voluntatem Dei," along with the previous two tracks make up a sort of triple threat. There are several bell tolls mixed in with the sustained guitar notes that enhance the song as opposed to making it sound cheesy, as other bands have managed to do. The melodic lead guitar segment also serves as a perfect counterpoint to the previously established gloomy atmosphere. "Unholy Sonnet 10" is the last proper song on this album. The following title track serves as an outro for "Praeparet Bellum." "Unholy Sonnet 10" is my favorite track on this already solid album. The same format of the previous tracks is also used here, but, in this case, RIGOR SARDONICOUS nailed it. The programmed drums hit harder on this track than any of the album's previous tracks. There are some nice tempo changes and well-timed cymbal crashes. There's even a bit of channel switching, with alternating guitar notes in the right channel, and drums in the left, a treat for headphone listeners.

"Praeparet Bellum" is a testament to the fact that this duo has been making music together for the last thirty-five years. They have created a funeral death/doom album that is both dynamic and contemplative and they have converted me from a funeral doom skeptic into a full-fledged fan of the slowest and heaviest subgenre of metal out there.