“Wow, this is killer!” I said on the first listen of this EP before asking myself “I wonder where these guys are from.”
The answer was right in front of me all along. Written in soaring licks and spiky hooks. Funeralgalde are from Finland. Finnish bands, while abundant, are notoriously metal and Funeralglade are no exception. The title alone tells you all you need to know. May The Funeral Begin. Is this DEATH metal perhaps?
It’s more than just you’re run of the mill excelsior Finnish metal band doing what only Finnish metal bands can do. It’s a god damn force of nature. Reflected in the title the pontiff of death features quite prominently as a lyrical theme. Growled and screeched with masochist appeal by vocalist Otto Mäkiniemi. Who fits the theme over razing sweeps and licks without dampening the impact of said riffs.
The riffs of Aleksi Nieminen and Tony Ewart however cast this record into the unfathomable depths of darkness. Having strong melodies to back up the already powerful chord progressions. While bearing a resemblance to NWOBHM from back in the day but with added synth goodness. Melodeath synths that effectively contrast the intense brutality rising from the guitars. The riffs are more than animated shadows of bands gone by. These riffs are lively flickers of an advanced sound with a deathly projection. While also worth the mention is the drum & bass section from Kalle Roine and Matias Kartemo respectively. Who are both integral in the development of the overall ghastly atmosphere moving from within these songs.
Considering the age of these guys, they’re all very born as Brave New World (by Iron Maiden) was being conceived, it’s seriously impressive how much retroactive influence they’ve crammed into this EP. It’s the bastard child of Hecate Enthroneds’ Kings of Chaos mixing RNA with Korn and raised by Blaze Bailey and Joan Jett. It’s a fucking ugly baby and it’s going to really upset the world; It’s the MacDuff to whomever is crowned the current King of Chaos.
9/10
