It's hard to believe the Dark Funeral have now given us three decades of Swedish, Satanic blasphemy, but here we are. Time flies. Much in the world has changed over the past 30 years, including Dark Funeral, who have had a number of members come and go. The one constant, however, has been guitarist Lord Ahriman, who has also been the main composer of the band since inception. Ahriman is both a prolific and rather gifted song writer who's body of work is beyond impressive.
To celebrate the 30 year reign of the band, this Swedish quintet has re-recorded their debut EP with current the current members. However, that's not all we get, as the band presents us with the tracks from 1994 remixed and remastered all on the same record.
Unabashedly Satanic, these songs take you back to an era when grimness and despair were central to the black metal genre. The lyrics to songs like "Open the Gates" don't leave much to the imagination as this band was unapologetic about their belief system long before black metal became the watered-down, rainbows and unicorn nonsense that seems to have permeated the scene in more recent years.
The most obvious difference on the newly recorded tracks are the vocals. Helijarmadr, Dark Funeral vocalist since 2014, gives us a distinct spin on the songs while still maintaining the original essence. If you haven't heard Helijarmadr's vocal work on either Dark Funeral's records or with his other band, Grá, you must check them out. Of particular note, I think, are his vocals on 2021's "Unchain My Soul," where he's able to demonstrate his range and passion.
Rounding out the 2024 lineup on the re-recorded tracks are Chaq Mol, who's been with the band since 2003, Adra-Melek on bass, in the band since 2018, and drummer Jalomaah, who joined the same year. It's an incredible lineup that I've been lucky enough to see here in US (note that the band is going on tour here in the Fall).
The 1994 tracks, remixed by the masterful Dan Swanö, feature the classic guitarwork of Ahriman and the late legend Blackmoon (also of Necrophobic and Infernal) who left this world way too soon back in 2013. Themgoroth is on the vocals and bass and drummer Draugen (who would later go on to drum in Svartsyn) rounds out the classic lineup.
While there weren't any surprises on the 1994 EP, fans of band quickly came to appreciate the prowess and musicianship the band put on display. With an abundance of perfectly placed tempo changes and a clear radiant energy, Dark Funeral demonstrated that it wasn't just the Norwegians who could master the art of black metal. The production and sound on these tracks is top notch with the band opting for a clean production rather than the traditionally murky sound from back in the day.
Fans of Dark Funeral definitely want this.
