Review by Krys on September 2, 2019.

It's one thing to call your band Slow, but on top of that to play funeral doom can quickly turn into a mockery, unless you take the base of your idea and make it greater than the sum of its parts, and this Belgian duo crushes the feelings of depression and hopelessness under the captivating and emotional new record, "Dantalion".  

There are tons of bands that play so called funeral doom but this one really is 'hit the snare and go make a coffee before next beat' kind of slow. Holy mother of all things losing the pulse and just about to die, "Dantalion" will suffocate you under its weight and end your misery while digging your grave with a smile. Right up front, I must admit that doom is something I don't listen too often since in a long run, slow tempos lose my interest and force my mind to move on to other things but this... this is so captivating and alluring that it grips my attention and makes me anticipate the next note even-though the wait from which it travels from the record to my speakers is excruciating. I mean, listen to 17 minutes 'Lueur' and when you think shit can't get any slower 'Géhenne' will crush you like a mammoth's feces falling on an insect from the height of a four-story building. But "Dantalion" is a lot more than just slow tempos, the emotional and elaborate soundscapes with beautifully haunting melodies build multilayered euphonic surroundings immersing dejected minds into the depths of empty subconscious. Skillful use of layered keyboards, orchestrations or just plain piano or guitar squeeze every last drop of your feelings until they burst in uncontrollable and distraught, frantic manner. 

One more element that has to be emphasized is the vocal performance of Déhà. The growls are unreal; deep, guttural and inhumanly prolonged, they erupt with menacing force for over 60 minutes of this opus. Last track, 16 minutes instrumental, 'Elégie' spares his vocal cords while the ship sinks to the deepest and darkest depths closing the one of the most triumphant chapters of the funeral doom metal. 

"Dantalion" is not only the slowest but also one of the best records of the year with massive and profound atmosphere, demonstrating Slow's mastery of the genre with perfect merge of might with heart-wrenching melodies. 

Rating: 9 out of 10