Artist: Funeral Storm
Country: Greece
Label: Hells Headbangers
Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD
Year: 2024
Although the band already released two splits and a compilation that brought those tracks together, I only ran into Funeral Storm with their split LP with Celestial Rite from 2017 (Iron Bonehead Productions). It was just in the wake of Ithaqua, that saw their demo reissued on 12” in 2015 and came up with a new 7” EP a year later, that Funeral Storm, together with Cult Of Eibon, more or less helped spark the unholy fire for classic Green Black Metal. That mystical Hellenic sound was never really gone as Varathron never really disbanded it and a “newer” band like Caedes Cruenta kept the banner high as well, but these years in the mid 10’s felt vital for a certain rejuvenation of that much beloved niche in Black Metal.
The authenticity of the music on that Celestial Rite split LP was not only sparked by the signature vocals of Stefan Necroabyssious or the keyboards courtesy of Deviser’s Nick Christogiannis, but it was definitely the recognizable warm riffing, catchy melodies and the typical militant drumming. Funeral Storm’s main man Wampyrion definitely knew his craft and proved that even more so when the band debuted with ‘Arcane Mysteries’ (Hells Headbangers) in 2019. In the years that followed, the band gradually scaled up to a five-piece line-up, in the middle of that transition, the band released a split 7″ EP with their compatriots from Synteleia, which further enhanced their primal sound.
Yet, it took the band until the earlier months of 2024 to come up with a follow-up for ‘Arcane Mysteries’. But, as with a lot of things, sometimes things need time to mature properly. And most likely such is the case with ‘Chthonic Invocations’, an album that sounds like yet another grandiose homage to the sound of yore. The cold drums again do collide beautifully with the classic warm riffing and Necroabyssious’ vocals are on par with his best performances in his entire career. Especially songs like ‘Behold The Dark’, ‘The Covenant Of Old’ and the great closer (not counting the acoustic outro) ‘Mistress Of The Night (The Gathering Begins)’ are a true testament of Greece’s unmistakable contribution to the cultivation of Black Metal as a musical phenomenon.
As with all releases that can be filed under this particular niche, this music hinges on that unique combination of a sultry atmosphere and cold production. It is this unique sound, recognisable from thousands, that binds all the bands in this musical pedigree. Funeral Storm definitely succeeds excellently in capturing that truly one-of-a-kind ambience, and indeed, on ‘Chthonic Invocations’, the band has done it better than ever.
