Skepticism Farmakon 5. What do you think when you see a band that is described as a "Funeral Doom" group? There are bands that stretch this, such as Esoteric with their atmospheric samples and screaming, and Nortt with its black metal aesthetics and production values.
Skepticism, even as one of the pioneers of the sound, have always remained the most innovative band in the ever-so-obscure genre. Even their debut, Stormcrowfleet, was incredibly individual, with its demonic organ sounds, the drummer's simple yet beyond-effective use of huge orchestral drums, the occasionally different guitar riff and the almost whispered nature of the vocals.
Lead and Aether was again a trip through the dark recesses of Funeral Doom, with its clearer production and increased variety in songs making a huge leap from Stormcrowfleet. It contains the song thought to be the most depressing of all time, The March and the Stream. When the Process of Farmakon EP came out, people were slightly shocked to say the least. Instead of droning guitars, long synthesizer passages and infinite repitition they were hit with streamlined songs that didn't need repetition or droning to be heavy, emotional and lengthy.
Most called this blasphemy and were turned off by the disc, yet some couldn't help loving it and eagerly awaited the full-length, Farmakon. Early Skepticism releases were characterised by their slowness. In the days of Stormcrowfleet, no one dared to play as slow as them, and when they did speed up they only reached the sludgey pace of a mid-paced Doom-a-thon.
Most sections of Farmakon don't possess this slowness, although it still feels incredibly slow because of its minimalistic nature. The first three tracks are almost up-tempo compared to the band's early works.
The first sound that hits you on Farmakon is that of an church organ. Eero is, like all members of the band, criminally underrated. He is the Doom equivalent of Sverd from Arcturus, without the piano. All the music is composed by him, I believe, and this is excellent because he enjoys classical music just as much as metal. Skepticism have always had a knack for composition and this is definitely a step-up.
The twin songs Nowhere and Nothing show a great talent for slow, long build-ups that do not disappoint. His sound is actually not as prominent and powerful as on Lead and Aether.
There are still moments where he comes in and blows the listener away which is what the untitled track seems to be based on , but most of the time he lets the guitar carry the song. Once again he shows the power of the organ in the first track, The Raven and the Backwards Funeral, with a massive two-chord riff slamming into the listener.
This is evil incarnate. That's the first thing the listener will notice about Farmakon. Instead of funeral dirges, Skepticism promised to make their "scariest album yet". Some of the songs are still very depressing in nature, but there are places where the listener will find themselves quivering in fear of the next cymbal crash.
And this is all fulfilled in the untitled track which is a puff of smoke on the tracklist. Whilst all the other songs try to be very smooth and progress naturally, this song is very repetitive and simple.
It sounds almost out of place on the album, because of its mood, but its length gives it individual power and its rightful spot on this record. Matti's vocals, instead of being pushed back in the mix, are actually the most prominent thing and he knows it, with his screaming and extremely harsh growls. Lasse provides very minimalistic beats which set up Eero to freak the listener out with massive, loud chords that are actually painful on the ear when loud enough. Jani's guitar is also heavier and more distorted than in other songs.
This song contains the most experimental moment I've heard in all Doom metal. All instruments fade out except for the drums and vocals. Instead of singing, Matti is actually just breathing very harshly, which is very creative as it provides ambience. The drums continue playing the Indian beat from the beginning, providing an ominous rumble to tell the listener that the rest of the band can come crashing in at any moment.
Untitled is the spookiest and scariest thing you will ever hear, but it also is very atmospheric and I often like to listen and get lost in it. Matti's vocals on Farmakon are more prominent than on other releases. Whilst his growl was reduced to a mere whisper, Farmakon brings him to the forefront at the right moments, letting him smack the listener with his incredibly deep and sustained belches. The mix also puts him back at times, which is excellent because it provides a good atmosphere.
Noteworthy is a section in Nowhere where he softly sings "nooowheeere" over his growls, which has an incredible effect on the listener, it's very emotional. Speaking of emotions, it was always thought that we'd never get to hear an angry Skepticism. Farmakon proves this notion false. Rather than the usual evocation sound Skepticism is known for, this presents more of a tendency to quite thoughts and emotions into a meditative hypnosis. I kinda wish Skepticism had kept on pursuing this path, instead of returning to a "safer" and more "usual" and "routine" sound with Alloy.
Still, this is a worthwhile release, despite only having two songs. The versions, while being recognizably similar songs to the two companion tracks found on Farmakon, offer quite a different atmosphere than the Farmakon counterparts. Metal Archives loading Username Password Login.
Bands alphabetical country genre Labels alphabetical country Reviews R. Privacy Policy. Buy from Explore music. Get fresh music recommendations delivered to your inbox every Friday. Farmakon by Skepticism. Art Vandelay. Damien Knox. Joe Mooney. Benjamin Heidtmann. James Boulstridge. Simon Mann. Purchasable with gift card.
The Raven and the Backward Funeral Shred of Light, Pinch of Endless Farmakon Process Nowhere Nothing Tags metal funeral doom metal Finland. Stormcrowfleet Original Mix.
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