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There are few genres that are easier to fuck up than Funeral Doom, as it demands the ability to create enough tension and mood to sustain music that goes on for monstrous lengths, so I'm always happy to come across acts that get it right. One-man band Laruam works in a crushing, oceanic vein of Funeral Doom reminiscent of Thergothon and especially Ahab, and they are thankfully one of the good ones. The riffs are big and crushing, the vocals are a guttural growl that sounds like they're coming from a drowning man, and the mood on here is bleak and expansive, which is everything I'd ask from a good band in the style. The guitar tone could stand to be a bit heavier, and the more atmospheric middle section of "Deep Blue Tomb" end up being a little aimless, but "Wretched Gasps for Air" is damn fine song whose tense, uneasy build is complemented with some solid guitar work and even some funeral organs thrown in for extra emphasis near the end. This isn't a genre-defining work, but it's a solid debut with plenty of promise for future releases.