Reviewed by:
11thHour, on march 31, 2008
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Sound: Dark Funeral play black metal and black metal only. Throughout their fourteen year career not once have they even showed a sign of a compromise. Some may feel this is one of their downfalls, (the constant repetition and monotonous style) however I, as many other black metal fan boys will agree, feel this is what makes the Swedish five piece so special. There is no real experimentation, progression or variation, that really make them stand out from their peers. It is merely straight up black metal, that you can sit down and embrace without any effort. For me, this debut is the only way I could explain and personify this band to someone with ease. It is an ideal representation of Dark Funeral and black metal as a whole. Fast, aggressive, slow and painful. As always incorporating the usual Satanic and Apocalyptic song themes. We are introduced with the eerie sound of gates creaking open, and thus begins 16 minutes of pure, untainted black metal. The main riff will bring a twisted smile to any Hessians face, suitably accompanied by Thermograph’s satanic chanting and Draugen’s crushing drumming. “Open The Gates” is undoubtedly the best song off the record, and possibly the bands most renowned track. The tympanic membrane rape continues, with the dark and evil riff that kick starts “Shadows Over Transylvania”, which follows the same predictable formula, but gets more dark as the song goes on. It contains some excellent riffs and crushing rhythms. “My Dark Desires”, seems extremely generic for the first half, and seems almost to be a filler. However I must commend this track for containing THE scariest riff on the EP, which is most certainly a notable achievement. At 2:17 the song slows down, and after a low gurgling roar, we hear a composition that would wet the pants of any grown man. Suitably dubbed over with a sample of Charles Manson’s madness "If I start murdering people, there would be none of you left". The closing track is a perfect ending to a brilliant EP. “In The Sign Of The Horns” opens with a slow menacing riff, which continue as the song progresses. The song is complimented with odd orchestral pieces, which really helped the flow and interchange between the riffs. The riffage off this CD showed some great potential for future metal classics, the song material and quality was incredible. This EP is a must for any metal heads collection. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Dark funeral discuss themes of Satan and the Apocalypse. Depicting grim images of death, sacrifice and the occult, the compliance of the lyrics with the music is obvious. Violent depraved rasps compliment the distorted guitars perfectly. This band like all Black Metal is not for the faint hearted. “Open The Gates” is basically Thermograph pleading to his master to cleanse the world of its disciples and to torture the holy men who offend his wrath. “Shadows Over Transylvania” continues the stereotypical black metal theme of the immortality, death and despair. The final two tracks continue the dark and evil imagery. “My Dark Desires”, as a I mentioned already contains an evil section dubbed over with one maniacal quote from Mr. Manson himself. // 7
Impression: This album most certainly compares to Dark Funerals later work. These four songs were instant classics in the black metal community, especially “Open The Gates”, which continues to be one the bands most popular songs to this day. The band showcases an extreme style, and an incredible ability to write heavy, crushing and powerful black metal in this supreme debut. I love the simplicity, and straight up black metal. I believe this is essential in ones collection. If you like your metal black, and don’t already have this extreme 4 track assault? I would advise, get it. Now. // 8
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