DARK FUNERAL has just brought us a tranquil and heavy record on April 16th, 2022, that touches upon their very particular musical style. The band’s very own signature is, without question, their extensive variety of techniques in sound. Perhaps that is one of the things that has taken them to a long-running career, as “We Are the Apocalypse” is their eighth album after a long hiatus since “Where Shadows Forever Reign” (2016). This album has the peculiarity of swaying in between soft and coarse noises, as it approaches black metal’s melodic side by slowing down the anger of the old school DARK FUNERAL days. Nonetheless, that is not a bad thing, nor does it mean that the band are losing their pioneering essence. On the contrary, this record reinvents DARK FUNERAL’s signature sound by exploring how serene echoes give birth to ruthless sonatas. “We Are the Apocalypse” turns out to be an interesting experiment.
The record starts with no intro, going straight to the aggressive sounds of riffs and banging drums. “Nightfall” starts the journey through a sudden punch with growling voices that lead you into the series of spells that the record comprises. Personal highlights include “Let the Devil In,” “Nosferatu,” “A Beast to Praise,” and “Leviathan,” as these ones have the spirit of the work: they are fast, the growls are an intense mysterious shot, and the drums encourage the listener to take part in a black mass (aka the mosh pit). At the same time, they have smooth sections over the course of the piece, as they slow down the speed with acoustic noises within the maelstrom of growls. The record finishes interestingly with title-track “We Are the Apocalypse.” This song slowly drops the speed whilst still accentuating its dark chants where silence prevails, after the strident soundscape listeners witnessed.
The overall ambiance is soft in acoustic sounds, aggressive in drums and riffs, and quick on the length of each song with 4-5 minutes approximately. Each song owns a very specific atmosphere of mysticism, as if they were a quick spell coming toward you. This mournful feeling is not all about sadness or mystery; in fact, I think that the record can attract an audience not so keen on black metal, as the rhythms are quite energetic and the songs are not that long, thus you can choose from any of the tunes on the playlist, get energized, and probably skip one or two songs if you feel as if you’ve gotten the dose of stamina you needed. That said, even if you listen to random songs from this record as part of your playlist, you will still get that black metal gloomy punchiness feeling. In summary, “We Are the Apocalypse” complies with the objective of awaking the listener to ask for more energy. A delight for calmed ears and spanking mosh pit steps.
TRACKLIST
- Nightfall
- Let the Devil In
- When Our Vengeance is Done
- Nosferatu
- When I’m Gone
- Beyond the Grave
- A Beast to Praise
- Leviathan
- We Are the Apocalypse
LINEUP
Lord Ahriman (lead guitar)
Chaq Mol (rhythm guitar)
Heljarmadr (vocals)
Adra-Melek (bass)
Jalomaah (drums)
LABEL
Century Media
