FERUM – ‘Asunder / Erode’ LP (Splatter vinyl)

Ferum is a death doom metal band originated in Italy, but now scattered over two countries. Asunder / Erode, the band’s debut album, is an obsessive and monolithic record. Slow, funereal riffs are tied to faster, sharper parts, while harmonized melodies and solos paint a cavernous atmosphere. The drums wisely marches, moving from the background into the spotlight, always followed by the bass guitar. Asunder / Erode was recorded and mixed at Walter Productions in Tallinn, Estonia by producer and sound engineer Are Kangus. The studio is located inside the historic Tallinna Linnahall, a behemoth built during the Soviet occupation. Today it is an urban wreck kept alive by few commercial activities which are based on the inside: it is in fact closed to the public, with the exception of some parts. Its interior is a maze of stillbirth potential, and inspired one of the album’s pieces. The record was mixed completely in analogue to give the songs a deeper, more archaic, real thickness. The master by Dan Swanö added the final touches, making the album consistent, organic and even heavier. Conceptually, Asunder / Erode is a journey that explores the idea of separation and its dichotomy, up to erosion and collapse. This is represented in a morbid and extreme way by the cover by Maestro Paolo Girardi. The choice of oil on canvas follows the same logic of the analogue mix: to make the whole as natural, as real as possible, and to pay homage to the influences that inspired Ferum, by reinterpreting them