DARK FUNERAL

Release Year: 2021
Artist Origin: SWE
Style: intense ominous infernal black metal

second full-length recording [1998] by Scandinavian black metal elite infernally blasts through mesmerizing harmonies of dark exterminating vastness, bringing eight satanic hymns to the ritualistic altar, epitomizing the absolute perfection of this furious genre, honing the haunting direction with yet more precision than ever before; those were the days when you could hardly get anywhere closer to such essential qualities of both creativity and performance, when it comes to sinister hyperspeed black metal - sharp tremolo stabs, relentless rhythmic barrages and feverish yet precisely interlocking twin-guitar melodies create a maelstrom of breakneck speed that nevertheless remains remarkably controlled, with room for more menacing, heavier accents that keep the compositions from becoming monotonous, while Caligula's rasping vocal timbre, steeped in despair, fury and spite, becomes another layer of the atmosphere, transforming each track into a dark ceremony; recent French edition comes with a remastered sound and four live bonuses from Hultsfreds festival in 1998, while booklet is expanded with previously unseen photos as well as extensive liner notes by Lord Ahriman and Olivier "Zoltar" Badin