Album Review: Mansion – First Death Of The Lutheran (I Hate Records)

Out on December 7th 2018, First Death of the Lutheran is the new album from Finnish doom metallers, Mansion via I Hate Records.

Our faithful congregation, ”First Death of the Lutheran” represents the end of the insidious sinners’ earthly serpentine path as their life ends and they pass on to face the Final Judgement of the Lord Almighty. No doubt in our minds that they will end up horrified by their fate. The Lutheran hypocrites have wasted their lives following their deceitful priests, blinded by their drivel. And these perverted wretches of the cloth have diluted the Word to serve their own greedy and lustful needs. May these priests be impaled by the claws of their true master, the accuser, Satan. And may the Lutheran churches fall in the name of the Lord Almighty, for they do not honour Him, but organised human evil. For His is the Glory now and eternally.

Layered in darkness, First Death of the Lutheran is as doom as they come. A deep and troubling record that weighs on you like a breeze block attached to the ankle as you sink into murky depths.

A methodical approach to the sound, Wretched Hope is gothic-tinged in an uneasy way and the clean singing really steeps it in the old-school style of doom. This is for those who enjoy their doom through a haze of sweet-smelling smoke.

That is exemplified on Lutheran, a track as slippery as a serpent and as devious sounding as the snake who offered the apple to Eve.

While the first two tracks are good, they’re not mind-blowing. The Eternal changes that though by ramping up the feeling of oppression and really selling the religious connotations of the record as a whole perfectly. We’re in the belly of the beast here and it’s slowly suffocating the life out of us. This is the track you play to people to convince them of Mansion’s quality.

At five tracks, even though they’re fairly lengthy numbers, it’s over quickly and certainly leaves you wanting more. 1933 might be a little too mellow to really get into but First Death leaves its mark with haunting effects and some of the album’s strongest vocals before the tempo increases and it reaches groovy levels. It would have been nice if it had stayed this strong throughout but halfway through it drops away into soft and slow melody that is very reminiscent of the likes of Ghost.

I can’t say that saxophone really works unfortunately.

Mansion – First Death of the Lutheran Full Track Listing:

1. Wretched Hope
2. Lutheran
3. The Eternal
4. 1933
5. First Death

You can order the album via I Hate Records here and over on Bandcamp. Find out more by liking Mansion’s Facebook Page.