ALBUM REVIEW: We Are The Apocalypse – Dark Funeral
DARK FUNERAL are a band that have refused to conform to the black metal blueprint from their very inception. Despite being thrown in with the second wave of black metal scene in Scandinavia back in the early 90s, they tended to incorporate more death metal elements into their sound than many of their counterparts. Also, despite being in their twenty-ninth year as a band, this forthcoming release is only the seventh full-length studio album from the Swedes. However, it is safe to say the band favour quality over quantity, with a discography that is among the finest in the genre culminating with the critically-acclaimed Where Shadows Forever Reign back in 2016.
The new album We Are The Apocalypse was recorded at Fredrik Thordendal’s world famous Studio 33 and co-produced with the legendary Daniel Bergstrand. It is also worth noting that this is the first release to feature drummer Jalomaah and bass guitarist Adra-Melek, despite both members having been with the group since back in 2017.
From the very outset it seems that no lasting cobwebs have been left on the band since their last release. Everything feels polished and well crafted as they forge forward with molten hot riffs and pulverising drum beats on opener Nightfall, a song that also includes one of the most infectious hooks that the band have penned to date, whilst still managing to sound as sonically evil as possible. Let The Devi In is a perfect example of DARK FUNERAL being able to shapeshift and deliver different styles of extreme metal at the drop of the hat, with this song boasting the kind of mid-tempo lead guitar work and sinister lyricism that is as poetic as it is brimming with evil.
One of the most impressive highlights of the album comes from an unexpected place. When I’m Gone is not your common black metal song. In fact it is far from it with its mournful vocals, dripping in emotional desperation and dramatic flair that drift so well over the top of the complex yet cohesive rhythmic section and the emotive guitars. However, fans of the band who may be concerned at this change in direction need not fear for very long because instantly Beyond The Grave shifts gears and bludgeons the listener’s ear drums with high velocity blast beats and ferocious riffs. Once again, it highlights the band’s penchant for being able to shift styles in a manner that is as seamless as it is neck-snappingly quick.
The record’s title track closes off the album in the same fashion as it began, with a vicious onslaught of drums that sound like heavy artillery, atmospheric leads and buzz saw riffs that will appease the fans of the more traditional customs of black metal. The band ensure that with this closer they have left nothing in the tank and make sure that the audience has plenty to headbang along to on their way out.
This is a band that are on the very top of their game. With the critical acclaim of Where Shadows Forever Reign and the seemingly eternal wait for a follow-up, it feels as though the stakes were high for DARK FUNERAL to deliver, and deliver they did. We Are The Apocalypse may well be the band’s finest hour and the fact that it was so long in the making can easily be forgiven when the end product is of this kind of high quality. This is an early contender for album of the year and will certainly be making plenty of people’s top tens when the year is up.
Rating: 9/10
We Are The Apocalypse is set for release on March 18th via Century Media Records.
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