Whilst Dark Throne have been around for quite a while now, and are often mentioned in the same breath as many of black metal’s elite, such as Burzum, Dark Throne and Satyricon, and releasing one of my personal favourite black metal records ever in 2001’s Diabolus Interium, the quartet have slipped within recent years, with 2009’s effort, the pretentious and long winded-ly titled Angelus Exuro pro Eternus being declared a flop by critics and fans alike. Now with a key line-up change, swapping original vocalist Masse Broberg for Heljarmadr of atmospheric black metal titans Gra and comical black-and-roll jokers Cursed 13, will this change impact on the band’s music for good or bad?
Within the opening salvo of the album, we are treated to one of the best tracks on it, the fierce, bitter Unchain My Soul. Heljarmadr’s venomous vocal delivery immediately stands out, giving the track, accompanied by some impressive melodic guitar work, an almost Immortal-eque edge. Fans of black metal will already know this is an incredibly good start.
Followers As One We Shall Conquer and Beast Above Man do absolutely nothing to break the black metal mould, but are incredible in keeping the pace of the album, lead by furious butterfly-picked guitars and more of Heljarmadr‘s trademark rasp, all the way into fourth track As I Ascend, where the new additions voice really comes into it’s own.
Other highlights include the desperate heaviness of Temple of Arhiman and the melodic, traditional black metal of The Eternal Eclipse, as Dark Funeral truly suck the listener into their world on these tracks, evoking the true spirit of the frost-bitten wastes of the North (or at least Sweden), showing their roots in a nod to the greats such as Mayhem and Bathory.
Okay, so that’s the good stuff out of the way. Now for the bad stuff. At its best, Where Shadows Forever Reign is a slice of traditional, seething black metal, perfect for those long winter nights. At it’s worst, it’s repetitive, and even slightly dull in places, often repeating note sequences and chord patterns a little too often. Although Heljarmadr brings something completely different to the table, and is more than an adequate stand in, I found myself yearning a little to hear Broburg’s pained, trademark rasp.
Again, although Where Shadows Forever Reign does absolutely nothing to break the mould, it’s certainly an improvement over the bands last effort almost 7 years ago. The renewed life Heljarmadr has given the band has broken every expectation, and although it’s still weaker than Diabolus Interium, that album does take a hell of a lot of beating. Evocative, dark and brooding, Where Shadows Forever Reign is truly a step in the right direction for a band who have fallen from grace somewhat in recent years. Still not perfect, but it will sate Dark Funeral fans for the time being.
Although not totally perfect, Dark Funeral have unleashed their best release in 15 years. Certainly a step in the right direction, and with new blood at the helm, things can only get better.
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