Funerarium, Nocthule
Embracing the underground black metal sound to its fullest, the duo behind Funerarium let loose with a beastial fury on their latest effort Nocthule. Avoiding the contrived sound that plagues pretenders to underground black metal, Funerarium deliver upon the sacrificial alter a reeking heap of rotting flesh for your enjoyment. Caustic guitars and methodical rhythms work together in unholy union suffocating the listener with vehemence and angst.
Taking on the vocal duties, as well as guitar and bass, founder De Rais wields an allegiance with the damned within his vocal delivery. It’s full of contempt and malice. Drummer Necroshadow delivers rhythms and blasts perfectly timed and fitting with De Rais’ half of the band. Nocthule will leave you feeling left in the desolate cold with no sense of hope.
Intro
The album starts out with wind and other various sound clips (possibly from a movie) to build the opening scene and mood. At just under a minute in length, you can skip this in future listens.
Riders of Doom
“Riders of Doom” certainly has a doomy feel to it. The riffing is cold and heartless. The drums are mid paced, while the production puts the song under a veil of suffocating desolation. The raw profile of the album thus far only adds to it’s overall effect. There’s a nice groove winding its way through this track, as well. The screamed chorus comes through loud and clear and will have you screaming along with it on subsequent listens.
Nocthule
The title track starts out with some memorable riffing and a steady beat from the drums. The vocals feel a bit more distant on this one — adding an air of desolation to the track. “Nocthule” is a terrifying, dark ride through some serious black metal. Churning guitars and methodical drums persist throughout the entire track.
Journey Through the Desolated Landscapes
“Journey Through the Desolated Landscapes” certainly is that — a trip through emptiness and despair. The underlying groove to this track is at a steady pace while distant riffs swirl in the background. The drumming is creative and varies tempos and machine gun blasts. The track ends abruptly just after the 7:20 mark.
The Curse / Ontology of the Trinity
This next song very well may have a more desolate sound than the previous. The slowly developing riffs and steady drums only prove to reinforce the feeling of despair. Funerarium pick up the pace quickly at the 2 minute mark with some thrash infused blasts and guitars.
The Parable of the Blind Leading the Weak
Grinding drums and a caustic riff start of “Parable” as the vocals come in shortly after. The song has a churning, writhing feel as the guitars swirl around the listener and the drums beat them into submission. There are some incredible hooks and melodies within the thick guitars. This is easily my favorite track the album.
In the Streams of Melancholy
I love the opening drum work and the great riff that start this one off. Funny thing is, this track isn’t nearly as melancholy sounding as the last one was. It’s got a brighter, fresh sound that’s definitely more open than the albums previous tracks. There’s some real nice guitars shortly before the three minute mark. This is one hell of a track.
In the Dark Nihilistic Center of Gravity
The final track on Nocthule starts quickly with a burst of drums and riffs. The pace slows briefly around the 30 second mark for some nice guitar work and distant screams. I love the tempo shift around the 1:50 mark, as well as the numerous pace changes throughout the album’s finale.
~ ~ ~
Filling the air with the acrid stench of sulfur and the screams of the damned, Funerarium’s Nocthule resurrects the black metal underground with the fervor of pissed off demons. The eight tracks on this disc will have you despondent and deep in despair in record time. The duo present to you raw, unfettered black metal with zero pomp and circumstance.
Favorite Tracks:
All of them
Additional Notes:
N/A