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Artist : Funerary Bell
Album : The Coven
Year : 2011
Genre : Black Metal
Label : Undercover Records
Cat.nr : UCR 073-1
Source : CDDA
R.date : 08.06.2011
Size : 67,7 MB
Encoder : LAME 3.98.4 -V0
Bitrate : avg. 236kbps
Quality : 44,1kHz/Joint-Stereo
Website : http://myspace.com/funerarybell
Tracklist:
01. Vision of the Undead (World) 05:01
02. Detachment 04:05
03. Cainian Confessions II 04:03
04. Circle Within Circle 05:30
05. The Ones Without Name 03:48
06. Conjuration of Thy Majesty 05:16
07. The Coven pt. I 05:32
08. The Coven pt. II 06:41
─────
39:56
Release Notes:
Funerary Bell tick all the boxes. The Finns have
an air of mystique about them, with members
operating under monikers like Templar of the Seven
Suns, Invoker of the Shadows and Caller of the
Sepulchral Doom and the liner notes revealing that
their debut full-length was recorded "somewhere in
Finland during April 2010". Sparing with the
information then, in true Black Metal traditionà
They also perform their songs in English, but
their grasp of the language leaves something to
the imagination. For some benign reason, I always
find poor English to be a real plus point in
underground BM.
My previous exposure to the band came via their
split LP with Blood Red Fog, a record that
contained interesting tracks from both hordes, so
I approached this one with more than a hint of
excited anticipation. I am not disappointed by the
result: "The Coven" is an adequate slab of grim
Black Metal that stays true to the traditions of
the subgenre but also ventures - albeit only
fleetingly - into obscure, occult realms. I
suppose the lack of genuinely esoteric parts was a
slight let-down, but in general these 40 minutes
constitute a superb debut full-length.
Third track "Cainian Confessions II" was the first
to really grab my attention, introducing a
menacing creepiness to proceedings, veering
between slow-to-mid-pace crawl and more
punk-infused speedy parts - a good showcase of
Funerary Bell in full flow. The abrupt end makes
way for the rather mysterious "Circle Within
Circle", which begins calmly, like a sombre
deathmarch, and evolves into a simple death /
thrash amalgam. Clearly, the Finns are not going
to break any speed records with their delivery.
For the most part, the songs are slower than the
village idiot, but the restraint is to be admired
rather than admonished. A song like "Conjuration
Of Thy Majesty" simply wouldn't work at any other
tempo.
The music is simple throughout and the vocals are
quite basic too, fluctuating between a croak and a
DM growl rather than a BM rasp, so "The Coven"
shouldn't really work. But the overall result is a
sum total that's greater than the individual
parts; the area where Funerary Bell really succeed
is that they don't try to be something they're
not. In the end, their debut is unspectacular and
far from groundbreaking. It'll probably be quickly
forgotten. But it's still a creditable and worthy
piece of slow-paced Black Metal that's deserving
of respect, recognition and acclaim.
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