Chapter I: Delirium is the debut release from the Finnish doom metal band Colosseum, which was started by Juhani Palomäki of Yearning. It's a funeral doom album that is moving and atmospheric. The songs are epic, most clocking in at over 10 minutes in length. They plod along at a snail's pace, but with a grand, melancholy atmosphere.
Layers of keyboards wash over the downtuned guitars to create a sound that is orchestral but bleak. It's crushingly heavy and oppressive doom metal with touches of ambient and classical music. There are long instrumental passages that showcase some excellent guitar work. Even though the songs are long, they never lose momentum.
The vocals are low pitched growls and roars with a sense of unhappiness and desperation. They add to the sense of uneasiness and flawed beauty of the songs. Funeral doom music isn't for everyone, but for those that appreciate the genre's glacial pace and melancholy atmosphere, Colosseum does it extremely well.
