Year: 2022
Total Time: 43:44
Label: Century Media
Although they have almost 30 years of career behind them, Swedish Black Metallers DARK FUNERAL return this year with their new album, “We Are the Apocalypse”, which is only the seventh album in their discography. Although they had started with the best omens in the mid 90’s, with the great self-titled EP, “The Secrets of the Black Arts”, the continuation was unfortunately not the same. As a result, Lord Ahriman (now the only original member), along with guitarist Chaq Mol were left alone and the future of the band seemed uncertain. So, in 2014 Lord Ahriman, determined to continue, proceeds to rebirth the band with the addition of a new member, who will be the core of a new beginning for the band!
I am talking about Heljarmadr, vocalist of the also beloved Swedish Black Metallers GRA. After Ahriman also brought in new members for both drums and bass, the killing machine of DARK FUNERAL was reborn, presenting us 2016’s great album “Where Shadows Forever Reign”, which was a huge success and brings the band back to successful warlike Black Metal paths. So, we all waited for the next Swedish attack. However, because of the coronavirus that frozen everything, as well as the well-known curse of the band with the members’ departures, it will take six years until the band will be able to present their new effort.
The new album starts with “Nightfall” as aggressively as it should! The song grabs you by the throat, emphatically stating that DARK FUNERAL is back to deliver what we have been waiting for so long: high quality icy Swedish Black Metal! As expected the band picks up where “Where Shadows Forever Reign” left off. The addition of two new members, Adra-Melek and Jalomaah on bass and drums respectively, shows that Lord Ahriman is fully committed to his musical vision, while the cover artwork also maintains the artistic connection with his predecessor.
“We Are The Apocalypse”, apart from its icy aggression, emphasizes on the dark melodies and creates a “magical” atmosphere, while maintaining the musical balance, breaking the monotony of the blastbeats. A characteristic example are the compositions “Let The Devil In” and “When I’m Gone”, which are quite mid-tempo and melodic for the Swedes’ standards, but they don’t alienate and they complement ideally the whole sound. As for Heljarmadr, once again his performance is at a high level, proving that DARK FUNERAL struck gold with hiς addition to the band! However, Heljarmadr’s vocals are quite accentuated on the album as they sound quite a bit in front of the overall mix, while the guitars are further behind and maybe the Swedes in this area could have done differently. But that doesn’t mean that it negatively affects the final result of “We Are the Apocalypse”.
In conclusion, DARK FUNERAL prove in 2022 that they have found the right musical recipe and offer us once again a great Black Metal album! Faithful to the core of their sound, without softening and losing their aggressiveness, adding at the same time those ingredients that are needed to maintain the listener’s interest. In an era where most of the so called “big” Black Metal bands of the ’90s have lost their way, it is gratifying to have bands that even after so many years, remain extreme and inspiring!
Rating: 8/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: DARK FUNERAL – Official Page
