The Howling Void – Into Darkness Ever More Profound [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

I never fancied myself much of a doom guy. I’ve enjoyed the talents of bands like UN, Bell Witch, and Mournful Congregation, but they’re rarely high in my musical rotation. On a whim, I bought the entire Funere Records digital catalog on a Bandcamp Friday back in the spring. As I worked my way through the titles, Into Darkness Ever More Profound was the album I kept returning to. It was catchy, contagious, and mellow enough to not be distracting at work, yet still had plenty of depth to explore through repeated listens. Flash forward to December: I didn’t realize how many times I’d listened to it and how much it had grown on me until it was time to think about compiling a top 10 list. Throughout 2023, this record proved to be a most reliable and enjoyable standby. It fits a variety of moods and each spin yielded new discoveries.

Within the first notes, the opening title track lovingly sets the stage for everything that follows. The simple, melancholy melody is both bittersweet and uplifting. There’s a quiet sadness at the surface but a celebration of deeper things below. Harmonized guitars and staggered drumbeats lead you on an inward journey while the airy keyboards and soft piano provide the gentle breeze that holds the space between. There’s a soundtrack-like quality to the mix but it’s much more purpose-driven, like a trusted hand leading you down a dark path. Over the next 45 minutes, you travel through a primarily instrumental landscape of somber melodies and slowly unfolding compositions.

Into Darkness Ever More Profound by The Howling Void

Listening to Into Darkness Ever More Profound is like having a late-night visit with an old friend, perhaps with a few drinks. There’s a warmth, comfort, and familiarity that allow you to lower your guard, become vulnerable, and tap into deeper emotions. It breezes past the small talk and opens into more challenging conversations. The music speaks to fleeting hopes, heartbreaking tragedies, and the fatigue that life brings. At the same time, there is a sense of heroism beneath it all in the form of small bursts of melody. Passages like the final moments of “Impenetrable Gloom” seem to say “You survived another day. Let’s celebrate.” My own 2023 had its difficulties and this album helped me pull through those challenges.

The Howling Void is a one-man project from San Antonio Texas. Into Darkness Ever More Profound is their seventh album and first in four years. I haven’t delved deeply into the rest of the catalog, but the prevailing sound is atmospheric funeral doom. There are flirtations with more folksy elements and instrumentation, but the vibe is always slow and introspective. For fans of melodic black metal and quality doom, I highly recommend checking out this release and showing its composer some love.

Tracks to Check Out: All of them! There are only four.

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