(review) Dark Funeral – We Are The Apocalypse (Century Media)

Swedish black metal legends Dark Funeral are soon celebrating thirty years of existence in the scene led by their guitarist Lord Ahriman, the only founding member still in the band after all these years and driving force behind their black metal machine. This is Dark Funeral´s seventh full length opus and it contains nine songs of fantastic melodic black metal. Although I love the legendary old material, this band is like fine wine, their albums in my opinion get better and better with years. This album totally reminded me of one of my favorite bands Dissection and the hole they left when Jon Nodtveidt left this world. Now, no despair anymore, Dark Funeral deliver their music so mighty and strong, there is no fear the hole will be still here. This is melodic black metal par excellence and a lesson how it should be done. Although fast songs with blast beats and thrash influenced drum parts are my favorites like Nightfall or When Our Vengeance Is Done, the slower heavy hitters like Let The Devil In are the treasure of this opus, being anthems that hit you straight into your black heart. Heljarmadr´s vocals are superb, you can make out the lyrics but they are aggressive and he is for sure one of my favorite black metal vocalists in the scene. Go get this one, you will not be sorry.

9/10

(review) Danas Rising – Morgengrauen

Danas Rising are new band in the scene, hailing from Switzerland. This is their debut full length opus containing 6 songs. As for music, Danas Rising play rawer version of death doom metal with dual growling and screaming vocals, sometimes venturing into atmospheric clean melodic parts and thus creating hopeless, dark, almost touchable atmosphere of horror and void and fear. Songs are pretty long but they do not get boring at all. Of course, there are some prog and psychodelia influences of Celtic Frost sympho parts in Empire of Nature and punk rock simplicity even crust punk in Anarchist. My personal favorite is A Virus Called Humanity. Slow doom parts quickly evolves in some songs parts into death metal aggression and blasting beats back to mighty doom hits of the title song and dual screaming of Morgengrauen. This is a perfect soundtrack for a morning walk through musty, foggy and wet forest. Good death doom.

7/10