After a hiatus from albums for almost 7 years, the Swedish black metal band Dark Funeral returns with “Where Shadows Forever Reign”.
Lord Ahriman (who did guitars and bass for the record) and his bandmates (Chaq Mol on guitars, Dominator on drums, and Heljarmadr on vocals), pick up from where the band left of and deliver exactly what the listener is hoping for in a record like this: raw black metal with very effective riffs, which have the potential to make the listener headbang at some points of the album, and some other doom / grim riffs well written. We can hear that the voice of Heljarmadr fit very well around the songs, and the drumming of Dominator most of the times blast the way through the riffs.
With two videos to promote the album “Unchain My Soul”, and “Nail Them to the Cross”, Dark Funeral shows maturity and a will to succeed as one of the most consistent black metal acts, presenting the listener of two of the best tracks of the record. Highlight songs are also “As One We Shall Conquer”, “Beast Above Man”, and “Where Shadows Forever Reign”. “Temple of Ahriman” and “As I Ascend”, have a glimpse of doom and grimness at the record’s half way, sliding like a serpent into the ear of the listener, as we can hear that these were some of the songs that ever recorded. Recorded at the Dugout Studios in Uppsala, Sweden, it’s a good black metal album that will not disappoint the fans of the band, and the listeners of this genre.
Even though nothing much has changed in the fort, as we can hear that the mix and sound in the end, sound very alike previous Dark Funeral releases. But this time, the mix sounds better and less polished. Song-wise this record is more captivating as well.
