Band:	Fungoid Stream
Album:	Celaenus Fragments
Style:	Funeral doom metal
Release date:	August 2004

01. The Book
02. The Key
03. The Howler
04. Celaenus Fragments
05. The Window

H.P. Lovecraft Metal

Never heard a Doom band from Argentina, you expect Doom from Chile, but from Argentina you expect some Power, Gothic, even Black, but not Doom, that's why I'm pleasantly surprised that Argentina finally has a export-quality Doom Metal band.

Let's talk about the band, Fungoid Stream, this is a two piece band, one handling vocals (Simon O.) and one handling all the instruments (Joseph C.), the whole concept of the band is based on the works of writer extraordinaire H.P. Lovecraft, the lyrical concept and even the band name is all product of the influence of Howard Phillips on these guys.

Anyway, this stuff is really atmospheric, dense, slow, funeral. The clean guitars mix with the distorted ones creating a aura of uneasiness, the pounding riffs and the ever present keyboard adds a eerie atmosphere to each song, reminder of the bands main influence.

Each song clocks at least 8 minutes, and they go from slow instrumental pieces to growled sections, which, in a very personal opinion, aren't my favorite, I think another vocalist could do wonders for the atmosphere of the band.

By far my favorite song is "Celaenus Fragment" which is an instrumental atmospheric song, with no vocals, dark ambient stuff with some epic touches that even reminded me of Vangelis early works.

The band succeeds in creating a creepy, believable atmosphere worthy of the Lovecraft influence, but they fail in the "Metal" section, where the 2 main problems are the vocals and the programmed drums. I think as soon this band corrects those 2 flaws, they'll be ready to reach wider European audiences. A fine Doom Metal album that is worth hearing to anyone that calls himself (or herself) a Doom Metal fan.