DARK FUNERAL
“WHERE SHADOWS FOREVER REIGN”
Album Review By Custer Elver
8/10
Hell’s Gates are open again and it is time to face your forgotten nightmares in the depth side of your mind. In other words, a new release from Dark Funeral will be out for Century Media in a few days and, for all of you, it’s time to leave any hope out of your life.
After six years of silence the Swedish Kings of Black Metal are back, after the masterpiece released in 2009, called “Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus”.
What about their new release, published under Century Media’s flag? Well, in a nutshell, I can say it’s a pure Dark Funeral style album. After this, the review could be considered finished and anyone would be able to take a decision: To buy or not?
I have always appreciated the Swedish combo, able to paint a decadent and sulphuric canvas with an old school approach, blending frozen and evil guitars with a very tight drum groove … Feeding the fears coming from our darkest side of the mind. Their style is essential as freaking efficacy at the same time, with no frills. For this reason, I was particularly eager to listen to “Where Shadows Forever Reign”, a deeply evocative title able to summarize in a few words, a 20-year career.
The Swedish combo, led by the trademark guitar of Lord Ahriman, are able to touch the most secluded ropes of my being and, I guess, nobody will care it’s the first chapter without Emperor Magus Caligula on the vocals. Heljarmadr, the new growler, is maybe a perfect stranger, completely unknown to most of us, but the guy shows no fear to carry the weight, acting like a dark standard bearer.
The sulphuric atmosphere of “Unchain My Soul”, the epic ride of “As One We Shall Conquer”, the ceremonial “As I Ascend”, the classic old school “The Eternal Eclipse” are all masterpieces. All are extracted from an album with no weakness points, able to alternate dark atmospheric prelude to furious raids towards Hell’s Gates.
Dark Funeral seem to have found the right formula to make the best use of their potential force, and that’s a good point. Most of their critics will say their work is all similar and without any trace of innovation. That’s not too far from the reality. But I said it more and more times: I am not a fan of innovation at any cost. I support the full expression of feelings and emotions, even if they come from the deepest abyss of the mind. This is what Dark Funeral simply do, weaving nightmares and occult in an infernal symphony, rooted in the misery of the soul.
A special mention for the fantastic artwork … Obscure and well refined, representing in a perfect way, the symphonic and dark essence of the album.
Cold sounds, blind rage and a deep cruelty approach are the main elements of this album: a new diamond on the crown of the Kings.
TRACKLIST
Unchain My Soul
As One We Shall Conquer
Beast Above Man
As I Ascend
Temple Of Ahriman
The Eternal Eclipse
To Carve Another Wound
Nail Them To The Cross
Where Shadows Forever Reign
http://www.darkfuneral.se
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