Any individual heavily into this arcane form of music should, at the very least, be aware of Hierophant’s existence. Originally released in 2003 and limited to a mere 135 copies, The Tome became quite a sought-after item and launched Hierophant into funeral doom legend. Comprised of the band’s three demos, stretching all the way back to 1994, The Tome displays the entire career of this important band. It shows us that Hierophant’s lone member, Xathagorra Mlandroth (who moved onto Catacombs), helped bring about the formation of funeral doom with his 1994 EP, along with albums by Thergothon, Skepticism, Esoteric, and Funeral. Hierophant’s style can be best described as thick and suffocating. All of the songs are ultra slow hymns of low grumbles, sparse drums and keyboards, and practically the same chord played over and over ad nauseum. (Wayward Son)

(Not to be confused with the Caveman Electronics outfit of the same name, members being Eric Wood and Kohei Chang)

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