New York City’s In This House of Mourning today self-release their debut album, Penance. The record’s arrival — digital first — comes just a short couple weeks after the record was announced and the first song premiered, so yes, it is very much a DIY, this-is-a-thing-and-here-it-is kind of affair. If there’s to be hype, it will come after the fact, and though Penance is short at just 21 minutes and will probably be regarded as an EP when In This House of Mourning‘s spearhead and former member of atmosludgers Mountain God, Ben Ianuzzi (guitar, bass, synth and so on) moves on toward an inevitable next release, its impact is still noteworthy for the grim ambience it creates as well as its willingness to wholly engage the stench of NY-style death metal.

To wit, the chug that emerges in the second half of opening track “The Path Worn Down,” also the aforementioned lead single. At 9:53, it’s the longest of the three inclusions (immediate points), and with grunts and growls over slow-motion, high-density distortion, the vibe is pure death-doom. But that chug, which returns again at the end met by squiggly guitar sounds overlaid, feels like a dogwhistle to those who know from whence that rawness springs. It’s a long regional history of death metal that has refused frills or, for the most part, the prog bent that has consumed much of extreme metal’s fare over the course of the current generation of acts. Ianuzzi, with that simple chug, calls out that influence even as In This House of Mourning‘s sound grows more expansive, pulling from doomed tempos and an insular darkness that goes beyond simply playing slow.

Keyboards and various synth bring depth to the procession and are by and large responsible for the melodies, as the three-minute “Judgement” confirms in its quiet stretch of grieving. This in turn gives way to the crashing introduction of “Cruel Death,” which moves further along all lines, more fluidly shifting between the various sides, from its initial heft and keyboard-inclusive crawl to the subdued guitar that patiently leads to reinvigorated lurch before, just after four minutes in, the vocals grow somehow harsher and the pace kicks up for a time, laying a claim early in the project’s tenure to bursts of pure death that may or may not be fleshed out on subsequent outings. Before the song is done, Ianuzzi brings it back around to the melodic keys and the grueling dirge nod, but having gone there invariably casts an effect on the mood with which “Cruel Death” closes Penance, and most importantly, that seems to be a purposeful choice.

Where Penance might lead, or when, it beats me, but for In This House of Mourning, it’s clear this first offering is an exploration of sound and style on the part of Ianuzzi and a few select initials-only compatriots, and the results are morose in a way that brings to mind classic ’90s death-doom while still ready to gnash its teeth on something more distinctly brutal. For Ianuzzi, who was kind enough to give some words to the motivations behind the songs, the difference seems to be one of introspection.

Below, you can stream the premiere of Penance by In This House of Mourning in its entirety, and read more from Ianuzzi, find the order link, and all that good stuff. It’s down there in the blue. You know how this goes.

Enjoy:

Ben Ianuzzi on Penance:

I guess I’ll say this. Given the order of the songs- PWD, J, CD — it’ll be obvious in the lyrics that its kind of an attack on the kinds of people that say lovely things about someone once they die. How people sort of glorify people at the end, as if it’s somehow honorable. Death is cruel, and sometimes people live out their miserable lives and are just as miserable at the end.

They may pretend that they aren’t — and others say kind words about them to make it seem like the end was peaceful — but a lot of that is just to make the survivors feel better.

And while I wrote the music before (which I more or less played every instrument on, and wrote the lyrics) I wrote the lyrics, everything just fit. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I didn’t write about such a morose topic because I wrote funeral doom songs — it was very genuine.

Whereas Mountain God was very impersonal, and was very outward in its anger, this band is much more personal. It’s much more inward-facing.

So while everything I said in the press release was true, deeper below the surface, these songs are pretty much my innermost feelings. Less driven by exterior issues and more personal thoughts.

Order: https://inthishouseofmourning.bandcamp.com/releases

Recorded by Aady Pandit
The Underground Lair
Queens, NY, 2021

Music, arrangements, and lyrics by B.I.

Musicians:
B.I.- guitars, bass, synths/organs
V.C- guitar
G.D- drums
J.A- vocals
A.P- synths, production

In This House of Mourning on Facebook

In This House of Mourning on Instagram

In This House of Mourning on Bandcamp

In This House of Mourning on Soundcloud

There’s so much death-doom out there right now, it can be hard to remember how completely oppressive the sound can be when intentionally pushed in that direction. On that happy note, big welcome to In This House of Mourning — also stylized all-lowercase: in this house of mourning — who will mark their first release with the three-song offering Penance on Feb. 28. I’m not sure if you’d call it an EP or an LP, but I’m more certain that it doesn’t matter nearly as much as the grueling affect of opening cut “The Path Worn Down,” which you can hear premiering below.

Some out there might recall Ben Ianuzzi‘s work in the plenty-o’-noise sludgemakers Mountain God. If not, uh, they were killer, you should see if you can track it down. Anyhow, In This House of Mourning is Ianuzzi‘s new vehicle for plunging into aural melancholia/miseries, and you’ll find that the comparisons tossed out with the early-’90s Peacevilleian vibe isn’t misplaced. Also nice to see Evoken get a little love, always.

You’ll find more on the themes and ideas behind Penance in the background info under the player below, from which you can immerse yourself in “The Path Worn Down.” Take a deep breath before you go.

And please enjoy:

In This House of Mourning – Penance

New York based extreme metal band, in this house of mourning, is proud to announce its debut release, penance, recorded with engineer Aady Pandit at the Underground Lair in Queens, NY.

The brainchild of Ben Ianuzzi, formerly of doom/sludge act Mountain God, “in this house of mourning” is a band devoted to the polar fringes of metal, embracing a dynamic of paying homage to the early 90’s, and pushing the envelope of what heavy music can be within the modern scene. Over the course of 24 intense minutes, songs “The Path Worn Down”, “Judgement”, and album closer, “Cruel Death”, foster an atmosphere that will draw listeners in, pummeling them with downtuned, full sounding chord progressions, short, intense moments of furious riffing, and ambiance provided by synths, organs, and melodic guitars. Listeners will recognize that penance is rooted in a foundation of funeral doom, death/doom, and even shoegaze. Artists such as My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Celtic Frost, Shape of Despair, Evoken, and My Bloody Valentine, served as influences and an inspiration for the band. That said, “in this house of mourning” is unique in its own right, pushing the boundaries of extreme music through textural layering and dynamic playing.

In an artistic sense, penance is focused on the hidden pain and suffering we deal with day in, and day out. So many fears and terrors have been exposed over the last few decades that it is hard to keep up with the trauma. Collectively, we have inherited a world in which political and cultural forces regularly tear at the fabric of what it means to be a united people. We’re weighed down and suffocated by the dirge of social media, and as a means of coping, people often, and willingly, expose an unreal version of themselves for all the world to see. For better or worse, people have learned to hide who they really are deep within the confines of our digital universe. penance is a reaction to this reality, and is meant to be a cathartic experience, with each listener provided the opportunity to release, let go, and immerse themselves in heaviness. Each track cuts directly to the point, unapologetically being as direct and confrontational as possible.

With future releases already in the works, “in this house of mourning” will continue to explore the different elements of heavy music, complete with undefined boundaries and a willingness to travel to wherever the music decides to go. There are no expectations beyond putting out music that is individualistic and a genuine representation of the band in that moment. Be on the lookout for news regarding the band!

Track Listing:
1) The Path Worn Down
2) Judgement
3) Cruel Death

Recorded by Aady Pandit
The Underground Lair
Queens, NY, 2021

Music, arrangements, and lyrics by B.I.

Musicians:
B.I.- guitars, bass, synths/organs
V.C- guitar
G.D- drums
J.A- vocals
A.P- synths, production

https://www.facebook.com/In-this-house-of-mourning-113629311239039
https://www.instagram.com/inthishouseofmourning/
https://soundcloud.com/ben-ianuzzi