| |
Features - Column
 Dethroned Emperor #4 Column by Josh Haun | May 31st, 2008
As a reviewer and columnist I get a fair share of promo CDs in the post, and for the most part I can look at the return address on the envelope and get a pretty good idea of what I'm in for before I even glance at the contents. But this was not at all the case when Prosthetic Records sent me Wounds, the brand new release from CA-based quintet The Funeral Pyre. The band creates a raw and violent yet melodic form of heavily blackened death metal that is worlds apart from the metalcore and thrash the label has made its reputation on, making them a welcome and unique addition to the label's already killer roster alongside the likes of Skeletonwitch and Grief of War. Being completely unfamiliar with the band up to this point, Wounds was a more-than-pleasant surprise, the sound of an American band deftly balancing black and death metal aesthetics in the way of the old European masters such as the dearly departed Dissection and more recently Watain. Wanting to learn more about this excellent band that somehow eluded me, I tracked down vocalist John Strachan via e-mail.
----
Sonic Frontiers: Talk a little about the new album, Wounds. How do you feel The Funeral Pyre has evolved/progressed since your earlier releases?
John Strachan: Well I'd say first off the song writing as a whole has matured. Early on, we just wanted something to either be fast and brutal or just fast. But as we've grown a bit older, we have really started to focus on song structures more. Plus the riffs, drumming, vocals, everything has just improved by leaps and bounds over the past 7 years. It's the progression that you make as an individual as well, so the more we grow as people you will definitely see it reflect in the music.
SF: Wounds is of course an extremely aggressive sounding album, but there are also some very somber, atmospheric moments, such as the last few minutes of the title track. Why do you think those almost ambient-sounding passages are such an important part of black/death metal?
John Strachan: Well for us I feel that it helps create more of an atmosphere for the lyrics. Trying to reflect the songs lyrics into the actual riff is always a task, but we try to make sure that both go hand in hand. It adds an element that you won't find anywhere else—the atmosphere of the music is and will always be what has drawn us to black metal. The bleakness and somber sounds are definitely something that keeps us writing the way we do.
SF: Wounds is your first release for Prosthetic records. How did you get hooked up with the label? It seems like their signings have become more and more diverse of late.
John Strachan: Prosthetic had reissued our last record The Nature of Betrayal last year. It was originally released on Creator Destructor Records which is owned by Ben, the drummer from Light This City. Prosthetic then picked it up and reissued it. So we discussed working on the new record together and here you have it. Pretty simple really.
SF: Something that struck me instantly about the new album is the way in which you guys balance a raw black metal sound with extremely competent musicianship and a great ear for melody. Is it difficult to strike that balance between black metal's grittiness and the band's more melodic leanings?
John Strachan: I don't really feel that's a difficult task. We enjoy songs, sometimes we'll have a basic A/B song structure, then other times we'll play 6 riffs all back to back and the song will be 8 minutes long. But we try to always combine some element that will have the listener remembering at least one riff. We like to give to the listener a riff that he/she will be humming along to at work or something. That's really it. We go with what is pleasing to the ear.
SF: What are the some of the key lyrical themes behind Wounds? It definitely appears that there's more going on than the typical blasphemous themes associated with the genre.
John Strachan: Yeah, we're definitely not a "blasphemous" band by any means. We are all against Christianity and whatnot, but we are not over the top about it. The lyrics are usually centered around politics and personal strife. I guess both of those are clichéd as well, but writing them in a sense where it's not just your typical "I hate myself" song. Writers like Thoreau and Frost as well as a Bukowski definitely influence the writing for this band. It can be negative, but a very honest approach the same way those writers did.
SF: Listening to Wounds, I can't help but be reminded of the great Scandinavian bands that toe the line between black metal and melodic death metal, such as Dissection or Necrophobic. Who do you consider to be the band's primary influences?
John Strachan: I'd say Dissection is probably the most influential band for our band as a whole. We all take different influences into the practice room, from At The Gates to Shai Hulud to Disgorge. It's all there really. A lot of us are big into the Scandinavian sound as well as more Grind oriented music. So it all comes out as one with us.
SF: What is your take on the current state of the US metal scene? It seems like on one end black metal is gaining a lot of notoriety and then at the end you've got all these metalcore bands running around.
John Strachan: The current state of metal is pretty weak I feel. Too many bands playing re-hashed garbage of music. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of people who feel we should stop playing as well. But with MySpace and all these outlets, bands feel like they don't need to work to get to something. It's expected, which to me is bull. But hey it's the new way that music is going. There is both positive and negative to it. I just hope some kids remember the days of actually hitting the streets, not just the computer.
SF: What's next for The Funeral Pyre? How do you see the band developing in the future?
John Strachan: The next step for us is to tour a bit. We are definitely a road band. Being on the road is the best thing for us, always. The band developing, I honestly have no idea. The next record could definitely be not as fast, or it could be a death metal record. We have no idea. I'm pretty sure the riffs will stay very melodic but the song structures could definitely start to vary. We'll just have to wait and see! Thank you very much!
----
The Funeral Pyre's latest album, Wounds, was released on May 27th by Prosthetic Records. You can check out several tracks from the new record, as well as get the scoop on tour dates and merch at the band's MySpace page.
----
 Next up, I'd like to talk a bit about the Burzum Anthology recently released by Candlelight Records. A lot of the reviews I've read are stating the obvious, i.e. listeners should get a hold of the actual full-length Burzum albums as opposed to picking up this nine-track quasi-"Best Of." I even saw one reviewer (who shall remain nameless) have the audacity to write that black metal fans have so many Burzum-influenced bands that are better than the source material to choose from, they no longer need to listen to Burzum. This is possibly one of the most laughable statements I've read in quite some time. Varg Vikernes and Burzum not only set the standard for one-man black metal, but set the bar pretty high for black metal in general, regardless of the number of band members.
Granted, I too tend to agree with the notion that listeners are better served by any one of Vikernes' classic Burzum full lengths. But the reality is that Anthology is a great starting point for anyone just getting into black metal and is interested in getting a taste of Vikernes' monumental contribution to the genre without having to spend a fortune on import CDs or be forced to listen to subpar downloads. I have yet to hear any other band equal the perfect pitch-black majesty of "Det Som Engang Var" or ultra-hypnotic guitar-induced vertigo of "Jesus Tod", both of which are included on this disc. If you're looking for classic black metal riffage, look no further than "Lost Wisdom", a personal all-time favorite Burzum track. The song features everything that I love about Vikernes' work, that killer, buzzing guitar tone, grim vocal anguish and oddly catchy songwriting. I'm not as crazy about the two ambient explorations that round out the disc, but they are nonetheless representative of late-period Burzum and shed light on another facet of Vikernes' oeuvre.
Furthermore, Anthology serves as a reminder that Burzum should be revered for creating some of the most compelling black metal ever put to tape, not for Varg Vikernes misguided extra-musical activities during the 1990s, which unfortunately included murder and arson. The sad truth is that many younger metal fans probably only know the Burzum name from these overshadowing events without actually hearing a note of Vikernes' music, and I can only hope that Anthology might help rectify that, even as it leaves some old school purists and critics crying foul over separating these classic songs from the brilliant albums they originally belonged to. If this collection proves anything, it's that the music of Burzum is as captivating and relevant today as it was upon initial release, and along with the classic works of Norwegian brethren such as Darkthrone and Mayhem makes for essential listening for anyone who considers themselves a fan of black metal.
The Burzum Anthology was released on May 13th by Candlelight records. I'm pretty sure Varg would scoff at the idea of a myspace page, but you can seek out more information on the man and his career at the Official Burzum Website.
----
 Finally, if Varg Vikernes and Burzum represent Norwegian black metal's past, then angL, the second solo album from former Emperor mainman Ihsahn is surely emblematic of the genre's present and future. Moreso than the multi-instrumentalist's previous solo work, this album picks up where Emperor's last album, 2001's Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise, left off, welding the aesthetics of symphonic black metal onto a progressive framework, further evidenced by the presence of members of such prog metal luminaries as Opeth and Spiral Architect.
In fact, the album's standout track just might be "Unhealer", Ihsahn's collaboration with Opeth mainman Mikael Akerfeldt. Akerfeldt's deep death metal growls and angellic clean vocals contrast nicely with Ihsahn's venomous rasp and the guitar-centered instrumental wizardry he weaves, creating a musical tapestry that's nothing short of mesmerizing. Granted, there isn't a bad track on the whole album, anchored as it is by stellar musicianship and Ihsahn's excellent sense of composition. angL is one of the those albums that's best listened to in one sitting, each track fitting together to create one darkly majestic whole. There is an aristocratic quality to the album, a certain regal arrogance that only a musician as gifted as Ihsahn could ever hope to pull off.
angL was released in the US by Candlelight Records on May 27th. You can listen to the tracks "Misanthrope" and "Emanipation" at Ihsahn's Official MySpace Page.'
----
Bands or labels interested in news, interviews, or reviews for future installments of Dethroned Emperor, please get in touch: jhaun@sonicfrontiers.net.
|
| 
|
