Ever since the release of Maranatha in 2008, I was really interested in the style that Funeral Mist adopted, from the lyrical themes of divinity all the way to the fast paced progression and sinister, atmospheric riffing. After 10 years they still got it with Hekatomb.
When you think of Funeral Mist, think of a sort of structured chaos, or a sort of coherent nightmare. Twisted and vitriolic, this is a massively unfriendly beast.
If there is any way I can describe the album, it is chaos, perversion and blasphemy. Arioch’s vocals deviated from the mournful bellowing style he had back in Maranatha and instead delivered a style that is much more hard hitting, with low growling and ear melting shrieks. The drumming and riffs are also something worth mentioning, with violent tremolos that are sure to bring chills down your spine and a consistent blast beat that fits comfortably into the guitars without any of the two overlapping one another.
In Nomine Domini first welcomes the listener with an eerie sample before dropping them into a menacing and well executed drum opening which is soon accompanied by occasional riffs; it builds tension and it builds anticipation before delivering the auditory violence that is awaited, which is vital for an album. The same can be said for Cockatrice, near the second half of the track going into a silence and giving a Burzum-type xylophone session, conveying a moment of rest before delivering an explosive scream from Arioch and a hurricane of tremolo and blast beats. It is moments such as those that showcase the artists potential of emitting emotion and aggression, and for this album Funeral Mist did an amazing job in executing such passion.
The vocals sound like they’re performed by about ten different singers, rather than just the one. The man is a vocal chameleon. Just as the music manages a certain balance between its various aspects, his voice manages to mix standard shouts, screams, and growls, with more unusual and esoteric deliveries in just the right amounts. Arioch never fails to disappoint, especially with delivering something that you will not be bored of listening to.
This is an album that crafts devastating effective movements through blackened rawness and expansive creativity. Suitably fettered by a core of hateful blackened extremity, Hekatomb strikes the perfect balance between traditional black metal and a more esoteric, individual strain of the blackened plague. Hekatomb is containing all manner of influences, styles, and musical accoutrements, sometimes in a single song. Straightforward blistering aggression shares space with some punk-fuelled riffs, or maybe it’s a malignant groove which presages a more atmospheric section.
The album is something different from their past albums but it is worth listening to.Funeral Mist changed style but Hekatomb do not fails to dissapoint.
