Funeral Doom… being the third full length this album will most probably appeal to all the fans of their previous releases. Musically this is depressive slowmotion Doom with some melancholic moments and harmonies but more varied than before concerning speed and arrangement. You still have downtuned guitars playing rather simple and static lines accompanied by an organ that adds a certain symphonic quality to the long and slow songs (or dirges, if you prefer). Here and there an acoustic guitar fades in and disappers again while slightly tribal drum rolls pound on… generally the bands works with “loud – calm” – dynamics to create atmosphere. The uttered cryptic lyrics of doom and depression lie in between deep grunts and whispering, sometimes shortly turning into a manic direction, laughing (in the untitled fourth song). The package also fits to this rather monotonous offering: the cover is almost all black showing a thin thread of smoke in the vertical with the band’s name and the album title printed in grey simple fonts, following the aesthetic line or concept known so far by the band. Even though I grew to like this record after listening to it repeatedly I have to admit that I prefer acts like EVOKEN, the mighty and unique ESOTERIC or UNHOLY on the desolate plains of Doom. If these acts appeal to your senses it might be a good idea to give SKEPTICISM a try and deceide for yourself – if you consider yourself a fan you will have bought this already most probably. The two song from their previous MCD “The Process Of Farmakon” are also featured on this disc but in different versions, by the way. SKEPTICISM email contact: skepticism@farmakon.com, homepage: www.farmakon.com. Label contact: Red Steam, P. O. Box 342, Camp Hill PA 17001 – 0342 USA, email: redstream@aol.com.