Dark Funeral - Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus

November 11, 2009

Reviewer: Kesh

After four years, Dark Funeral is back. Angelus Exuro pro Eturnus is the band’s statement that they are back with a vengeance. From beginning to end, these boys from Sweden prove that there is a reason they are one of the best known of the Scandinavian black metal bands. With their multiple social networking sites (they have thirteen of them if you count the different buttons on their MySpace profile!), these guys have been pushing this new album (with good reason) to their fans like a crack dealer. The build-up alone shows how much they have put into this album, and I am going to go out on a limb and say that Angelus Exuro pro Eturnus is their strongest album to date. I think it is also worth mentioning that the cover of this album is probably their most eye-catching one yet.

“The End of Human Race” - The first track of the album sets the overall pace. Its speed and tempo build up to the end of the song, where the speed and brutality they are best known for comes out. Lord Ahirman’s guitar playing is killer on this track.

“The Birth of the Vampiir” - If anything even remotely negative can be said about Dark Funeral, it’s that they are consistent with the composition of their music. Some might say that being consistent is boring and uninspired, but opposers to that viewpoint would respond that that’s what fans want. People will “tune in” to band because they like something about their sound, and if the band then changes their sound, they might disenchant many of their fans who have been with them from the beginning (do I even need to mention Metallica as an example of this?). Consistency is a good thing in my mind, and I’m willing to guess there are others who share my point of view. The same can be said with “The Birth of the Vampiir.” It’s not the best song on the album, but it keeps you in the mindset for the songs to come.

“Stigmata” - The second single released from this album, and also one of the most excellently written songs on the album. It’s one of the faster tracks, and it is very heavy and has deep chanting of “Stigmata” throughout, a great auditory affect which completes the song.

“My Funeral” - The first single off the album “My Funeral” was a good first-choice track. I’m happy to say this is one of my favorite tracks off the album, and I’m pretty sure it will become one of my all time favorites from the band. Musically, it’s the most constructed, steady and well-written song on the disc, and makes a very good impression on first listen. It’s not overly catchy to the point where you want to listen to it so much that you get sick of it, but it still leaves you feeling satisfied that you’ve listened to a good song.

“Angelus Exuro pro Eternus” - This is a track that could be considered a throwback to 2001’s Diabolis Inturim and causes me to think back to those early days when I first discovered Dark Funeral. Both musically and lyrically, it feels reminiscent of the band’s 2001 release. Caligula’s vocals are in good form and the rest of the boys’ instrumentation is on the ball. This is classic Dark Funeral, revisited.

“Demons of Five” - “Demons of Five” is a track that is way more epic than a song should be. It’s a melodic track that keeps up a steady pace, and, to me, it gives off a story-like atmosphere that many more mainstream bands will have on entire albums. While I like themed or story albums, I’m glad Dark Funeral doesn’t do that on the entire album.

“Declaration of Hate” - After a song like “Demons of Five”, “Declaration of Hate” kind of comes off as a let down, similar to “The End of Human Race” in both speed and tempo. While it is a decent song and keeps the pace of the rest of the album, I don’t think this will be one of those songs that stands well alone.

“In My Dreams” - Coming in at six minutes and twenty-seven seconds long, “In My Dreams” is the longest track on the album. Like the rest of the disc, it is much slower than their previous releases, yet it is still very heavy with the trademark Dark Funeral riffs and sound fans have come to know and expect.

“My Latex Queen” - To someone who is unfamiliar with Dark Funeral’s past works, “My Latex Queen” is a seemingly odd and almost misplaced track. But if you are a true fan of Dark Funeral, you will know that “My Latex Queen” is just as hardcore and proper for Angelus Exuro pro Eturnus as “Goddess of Sodomy” was for Diabolis Interim. While it seems as though it would not fit as a song on this album, it does in it’s own odd way, fitting the formula that Dark Funeral established very early on in their career.

Track by track, you will find yourself rediscovering why Dark Funeral caught your attention in the first place. If you’re new to the metal scene and don’t have experience with the band before, this is a must-have album for you and will teach you what good black metal is about. The dark themes, tight musicianship and vocals all add up to another great release for 2009.

Release Date: November 18, 2009
Label: Regain Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  The End of Human Race
2.  The Birth of the Vampiir
3.  Stigmata
4.  My Funeral
5.  Angelus Exuro pro Eturnus
6.  Demons of Five
7.  Declaration of Hate
8.  In My Dreams
9.  My Latex Queen

Total playing time: 47:16

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