First things first as I always say, Funebrarum are back after a seven year hiatus with “Beckoning The Void of Eternal Silence” which follows 2019’s EP “Exhumation of the Ancient.” Interestingly, “Beckoning The Void of Eternal Silence” was recorded in 2019, but only now it is released maybe due to the pandemic, I do not know for sure as there is very few information about it in the press release.
Other interesting info about the album is that “Sa Nagba Amāru,” the third track of this album, is Akkadian from a famous phrase from the even more famous Epic of Gilgamesh. It translates to “He who saw the deep” or “He who saw everything” in English. Then, “Anhela Odor Mortuorum“ translates from Latin to English as “It yearns for the scent of the dead.” I like to highlight this kind of reference because I guess it tells a lot about the band’s personality, hence, its music. In Metal music these dark, obscure, and ancient references are highly and immensely appreciated.
Musicwise, “Beckoning The Void of Eternal Silence” instantly made me travel back in time when I was introduced to early Extreme Metal bands. I mean, maybe not really due to the music, but to the spirit of the album. The spirit of intro “The Arrival” took me down memory lane with its classical grand orchestration that sounded to me as inspired on Lord of the Rings – it was my impression, maybe it is not so. Then, when I was expecting the following track to be a groundbreaker with fast as hell riffs and everything comes, for my surprise, the slow and cadenced tittle track “Beckoning The Void of Eternal Silence” with the from-the-grave voice of vocalist Daryl Kahan. The drumming of “From Rotting Burial Shrouds“ reinforced this experience I guess because it follows old school drumming techniques and showcases no blast beats at all. On the other hand, there are tracks as the eight minute long “The Whispering Cathedral” that blends slow cadenced sequences with faster ones mixing also modern and old school techniques.
“Beckoning The Void of Eternal Silence” keeps the flames of Old School Death Metal high. By the way, this faith on Old School Death Metal is Funebrarum‘s musical signature. I would add one more that is the approach to Doom Metal that is present throughout the album. It is the band’s very personal ability to mix both in their tracks. The sudden shifts in tempo and cadence marks the band’s music as well.
Funebrarum “Beckoning The Void of Eternal Silence” will be released on May 29th via Pulverised Records.
Track Listing:
1. The Arrival (Intro)
2. Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence
3. Sa Nagba Amāru
4. Through the Barren Halls of Grieving Emptiness
5. Into Dark Domains
6. Ancestral Manor (Intro)
7. Anhela Odor Mortuorum (The Adepts)
8. From Rotting Burial Shrouds
9. Turning the Stones of Torment
10. The Whispering Cathedral
11. Epilogue
Watch “Anhela Odor Mortuorum” official lyric video here:
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!