Review: “Self titled” by Furnace Floor

Joining a growing collection of demos and debut EPs to be given cult status by Dawnbreed Records with vinyl offerings is the self titled record from St. Louis Missouri Death Doom Metal act Furnace Floor. A project forged in the fires of Valhalla in 2022, the suggestion is that group consists of bassist Lindsay Cranmer, guitarist Sean Survant and drummer Spencer Medley (Grand Inquisitor, Path of Might, ex-White Fire, ex-Rites of Impiety), although what is for certain is that they recorded these tracks with Gabe Usery (Horror Section, Hell Night, Bastard Squad) at Encapsulated Studios. Beyond that there is a shroud of mystery around the affair, described as three cuts of voraciously heavy and fiery performance from a band not afraid to borrow from the realms of Black Metal for extra flair and flavour…

…Reading the possible line up might suggest that Furnace Floor were a in instrumental collective but after some menacing and sinister atmospheric riffage we get treated to some downright demonic unclean vocals that roar down the ear canal with searing heat, carried upon the winds of plague. Slowing from what was a mid tempo chug into Doom laden meander before rising again majestically like a impaled beast from the black depths, the sheer power of this opening cut is nothing short of immense. If the vocalist is drummer Medley, who has contributed vocals to both Grand Inquisitor and Path of Might, then he showcases an entirely different register to the one we have heard previously. “Fevered Lens” brings to mind bands like Celestial Sanctuary and Gatecreeper with dirge laden Death Metal riffs that pack a sonic punch counterbalanced on a knife edge by eerie atmospherics. If you didn’t know this was recorded in a studio, then the weight of the reverb may suggest it was a done recorded in a basement somewhere; it has been a choice attain that Old School primitive Death Metal feel. The truth is that aside from that the instrumentation is impeccable, the drums sound is huge and the bass on the clank-y side, giving that oppressive ominous and monolithic vibe. A unnatural extension of that is “Under the Heel of God“, a brutal blunt force trauma of pummelling percussion with fearsome vocals that feel like the voice of a wrathful God about to throw a lightening bolt at your skull. There is a melody underneath the corpse of her ghost in the fog and it’s churning is like battery acid nausea… [7/10]

Track Listing

1. The Chamber
2. Fevered Lens
3. Under the Heel of God

Self titled” by Furnace Floor is out 17th November 2023 via Dawnbreed Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp

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