From the depths of hell comes “Angelo Exuro Pro Eternus”. Dark Funeral have been in business since 1993, and it’s amazing how they maintain their level of intensity.
Anyone who has heard anything from Dark Funeral will know what to expect from this album. We all have our opinions, but I thought the band’s peak was the 2001 album “Diabolis Interium”, which mixed great production and musicianship with the satanic slaughter to which we have become accustomed. The 2004 live album “De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine” was very good too, but the follow-up “Altera Totus Sanctus” simply didn’t run through my veins and gave me the impression that they had run out of ideas. “Angelo Exuro Pro Eternus” has the rage and horror but in return for a little less blood and thunder, it’s more technical, and I found myself appreciating the musicianship as I had on “Diabolis Interium”.
For me, “Angelo Exuro Pro Eternus” divided into two. The last four tracks were all dark and atmospheric, but neither crushing nor uplifting. They weren’t particularly original as pieces of Black Metal and didn’t really take us anywhere. This was disappointing after the first seven tracks which do have identity. The opener “The End of Human Race” has the air of a story being told. It’s a nasty one with the mandatory blasting drums and uncompromising guitars to accompany the creepy tale. Musically, it pieces together well and all in all is a good track. The next one, the “Birth of the Vampiir” could have been called “The Hall of Horror”. Starting with scream, it’s a track of maximum intensity and rage, with horror permeating the violence. So it neatly leads into “Stigmata” which conjures up the sounds of slaves being punished in the work house. Punishment and torture are the themes here. Meanwhile the meandering guitar hooks us in. “My Funeral” is along similar lines but slower. It’s another gruesome story with a deep and repetitive riff providing the backbone. Maybe it was the familiarity but I didn’t find this one so inspiring. The tempo is then raised for the title track. As usual the persistent riff generates a sense of foreboding. The growls, screams and sense of despair and agony convey a terrible tale. What is impressive is that it is as if we are surrounded by chaos and destruction on all sides. The only truly original track on this hate-filled Black Metal production is “Demons of Fire”, which strays more into Death Metal territory. In terms of its sound and output, it sounds more Polish than Swedish. It’s more deliberate in its presentation than some of the others and is the only track which heads off towards the majestic.
“Angelo Exuro Pro Eternus” is maybe a bit too clinical and formulaic to have a major impact. I think if you’d never heard this sort of thing before, its power would be amazing, but to the seasoned listener it’s nothing especially new. Upholding the principles of true Black Metal, any variations are more subtle than revolutionary. The technical quality is of a high standard, and there’s no denying the creation of a violent and dark atmosphere. Dark Funeral are very good at that.
http://www.darkfuneral.se
http://www.myspace.com/darkfuneral
http://www.regainrecords.com
