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Dark Funeral
Attera Orbis Terrarum, Part II
(Regain Records)
I’ll be the first to admit that when I was initially approached about worshipping at the First Unholy Church Of Dark Funeral via an ex-co-worker (circa 2001), I initially didn’t know what to expect. This was, after all, a 'bona fide Death Metal band and I, not knowing any better, had spent most of my adult life deeply immersed amid the Glam-tinged offerings of Guns ‘n’ Roses, L.A. Guns, Motley Crue and Quiet Riot, to name only a few. Despite this (or perhaps in part because of it), I was able to set my more than considerable misgivings aside and wholeheartedly embraced the group with a previously unparalleled, childlike enthusiasm. Not surprisingly, the end result--as I’m sure you’ve already guessed--was a musical experience unlike almost any other that would eventually lead to the start of what has thus far been a curiously long and disturbing love affair.
On the stellar Attera Orbis Terrarum, Part II (2008), an expertly assembled forty one (!) track, two disc collection of stunning ‘…in concert…’ footage, each track, beginning with the blistering “King Antichrist”, and the blast beat-laden “Diabolis Interium” (i.e. ‘Devil Within’), instantly commands the rapt and undivided attention of all parties involved, myself most definitely included. Undoubtedly attempting to recapture the tangible electricity of 2007’s ingenious Attera Orbis Terrarum, Part I, the group dives headlong into a wisely chosen set of new and classic material that deftly highlights their sprawling--and somewhat fragmented-- catalog. Invariably guaranteed to appeal to clueless newcomers and die-hard completists alike, the group scores major points early and often by simply showcasing the harrowing intensity of their sweat-soaked performances.
Continuing with the self-explanatory dirge “The Arrival Of Satan’s Empire”, and the thunderous “Open The Gates”, the newly rejuvenated combination of vocalist Emperor Magus Caligula (Magnus ‘Masse’ Broberg), guitarists Lord Ahriman (Micke Svanberg) and Chaq Mol (Bo Karlsson), ‘…live only…’ bassist B-Force and drummer Dominator (Nils Fjällström) steamroll ahead with an undeniably sickening ease. Driving home each key focal point via a seamless, mostly-full-throttle barrage of scalding vocals, searing fretwork and imaginatively abusive rhythms, the group wastes little--if any--time reaffirming their insanely well-deserved reputation as quasi-pioneers of the Black Metal genre’s coveted ‘…Second Wave…’ without, believe it or not, conforming to the commercially-motivated tactics typically embraced by their few remaining contemporaries.
Wisely intertwining a veritable wealth of professionally captured footage from Argentina, Brazil, Canada and the United States with previously unreleased amateur footage from the group’s ‘…enormously successful tours…’, other standouts, including the seemingly obligatory--albeit relentlessly pummeling--“The Secrets Of The Black Arts”, and the equally impressive closer “An Apprentice Of Satan”, effectively chronicle the improbably long-running group’s 2006 Attera Totus Sanctus world tour. As a result, even if you somehow still find yourself less than enthralled with (or, at the very least, less than convinced by) the group’s arguably bowel-churning obsession with all things Black, Metal and Swedish, one must, at the very least, sincerely admire the frequently ferocious foursome’s already much-celebrated penchant(s) for lyrical and compositional precisions.
So what, exactly, are you waiting for? Still not sure you’ll dig it? Believe me; I know what you’re probably thinking. Although the group’s blatantly LaVeyan Satanism-fueled ‘…sonic persona…’ is, without a doubt, quite obviously not for everyone (particularly those faint of heart or weak of constitution), the accompanying musical onslaught ultimately entertains as much as it overwhelms, a much-welcomed characteristic that makes the roaring, corpse paint-caked behemoth that is the mighty Attera Orbis Terrarum, Part II the group’s most thoroughly satisfying audiovisual offering to date. Needless to say, if you’ve once again found yourself in search of a truly thought-provoking alternative to the painfully mindless din and clatter that is so often force fed ne mass, then this, my friends, might just be the cure for what ails you. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Select Discography
Attera Orbis Terrarum, Part II (DVD) (2008)
Attera Orbis Terrarum, Part I (DVD) (2007)
Attera Totus Sanctus (2005)
De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine (2004)
Diablos Interium (2001)
Teach Cildren To Worhsip Satan (EP) (2000)
Vobiscum Satanas (1998)
The Secrets Of The Black Arts (1996)
Dark Funeral (EP) (1994)