BLACK FUNERAL – Vukolak CD review

BLACK FUNERAL – Vukolak CD
Behemoth Productions

It’s been a few years since these entities actually put out something musical instead of just hawking satanic trinkets and artwork from their Myspace page. Vukolak is their eighth full length and if you’ve heard any previous releases by them then you know what to expect. If you haven’t well, you ever been to an insane asylum during a Hellraiser DVD marathon? Yes I do like BLACK FUNERAL in fact it is because of my playing of one of their CDs at a party years ago that a close friend claimed I have an unhealthy obsession with sick, twisted and necro black metal. I can’t lie because it’s true and if whatever mainstream/Indie Rock fag pop blackened lite bands are at one end of the spectrum then BLACK FUNERAL sits proudly on the opposite. Plus how many other bands include with their CD a demon card and an actual invocation on fancy parchment paper? I framed it and hung it in my bathroom.

If I were to make a list of great USBM bands then BLACK FUNERAL would be in my top five and some people who claim to like black metal would balk at it. If their displeasure with BLACK FUNERAL is based solely on their music then I’d understand, it’s not for the meek. Their sound and style is based on the early raw BM attributes. There are no vocals in the sense of actual singing. These are literally screams of torment that make what some of their European contemporaries have done seem tame. Musically it’s the opposite since BLACK FUNERAL do borrow much from those same European acts but production value is lacking with them. Words like “raw”, “primitive” or even “basement sound” do apply to their recordings past and present. Vukolak shows that they have not changed much since starting out back in the early nineties. Something else of note is that Michael Ford aka Akhtya Nachttoter (screams, bass & noises) and Marchozelos (guitars, bass & drums) are not just recording music for fans. They are creating apocalyptic sounds based on a Luciferian belief with vampyric overtones. I know this might come as a shocker to some people but orthodox Satanism or any dark religious belief system is not ambient, symphonic or melodic nor does it sound pretty to the ears.

Nowadays there are far too many people who have gotten all of their Black Metal knowledge from Vice magazine and can’t wait for the movie version of Lords of Chaos. People like them would not understand BLACK FUNERAL or even tolerate Vukolak. (Except Nazgul from SATANIC WARMASTER since Ford contributes an incantation on his latest.) It’s a very harsh sounding piece of work. Michael Ford has outdone his previous releases but only slightly in the musical department. It’s his conviction to the research involved in producing lyrics which are religious in nature, blasphemy to all that some consider holy. Ford is also an accomplished author who has written books on Occultism and Luciferian beliefs. There are far too many liberals, faux atheists and closet deists in the metal media who simply don’t understand the orthodox religious aspects put forth by bands like BLACK FUNERAL. To them it’s just another religion for them to mock like all other religions, except Islam because they’re afraid of them and it would be politically incorrect. If you consider the opinions of cowards then pass on this one. On the other hand (the left one) if you feel like searching for something intriguing or cultist in black metal then everything about BLACK FUNERAL and this release will peak your interest. Let your faith guide you, ha!

http://www.behemothproductions.net/