The pioneers of the sub-genre of Funeral Doom Metal, characterised by isolated atmospheric distortion and with funeral nuances, SKEPTICISM's 7-year long "Ordeal" (get it?) was released this year, and interestingly enough, recorded in front of a live audience. Its austerity burns like a cigarette, and its live recording production brings forward a welcoming aural clarity and openness.

It is hardly a minimalist album, as SKEPTICISM has many parts all working together, a well-oiled artefact, but the sound is rather minimal. A Blackened sound, approaching that of aural nihility, played at funeral-march speeds simply roll like a black cloud on a bad day. Orchestral machinations happen around the band, as they deliver such bleak sounding material; it's very hard to get work done with it on. It constantly hovers on your shoulder, whispering that you should stop and just listen. Suffocate underground and into the darkly despondent notes. Its evil, Blackened (and very Gothic) Doom, leads us to a sense of nothingness and a burning sadness.

The album is very well rounded, as the band meshes with a very odd mix of carnival organ and orchestra. On the track "Momentary", it encompasses, sonically the album title: it's the aural equivalent of an ordeal, undertaken under severe duress. The song is heavy, mixing the keys in a way that it feels like a parody of a waltz. It's trudging to a beat. The album has some very major moments of huge sound, dramatic chords, and what sound like moments where the devil himself would pop out with thunder and lightning, in its terrible glory.

Be careful, though. The album is not exactly short, running at 80 minutes. It was a struggle to get through at some points, and the fact I could, at most, highlight one piece, more-than-subtly hints at the fact that the album is erring very strongly on the side of monotony. So you're going to be stuck on this one for a while if you choose to go all the way through. It has some very beautiful moments, but overall it's quite the negative journey. Crack a beer, pop a bag of popcorn, and keep out of the sunlight. You'd best be well prepared. Topped off with some brutally poignant artwork of a funeral ensemble the album simply oozes with primal negativity. A fantastic production with clearer sounds from their previous album, "Ordeal" offers a redefined flavour to their discography and to Doom fans themselves.