Thought to have resigned to the painful seize of death in the decade past Clifton, New Jersey-borne death metal quintet FUNEBRARUM thunder as they rise, an auld and great monolith of death rebuilt for the purpose of this engrossing and diabolic third full-length album. Entranced into the dark by noveau configuration yet steadfastly developed to resemble long-held signature ‘Beckoning Void of Eternal Silence‘ is perhaps self-aware in some sense but no less committed to the abysm of revivalist death metal they’d helped to popularize ages ago. Well-delayed as it may be their work here proves unnervingly immaculate as a result, meticulous as possible in craft and expression per the dramatically graven saunter through the realm divulged within.

Funebrarum formed circa 1999 by way of well-known hardcore punk/metalpunk vocalist Daryl Kahan alongside overlapping Abazagorath and Evoken cohorts… and I think their second drummer (who performed on their first rehearsal tape and LP) played in a melodic death band named Eschaton around that time. Despite being heartily inspired by United States death metal’s doom and gloom their sound was primarily revered by the (then much smaller) classicist underground for its authentic amalgamation of the early 90’s death metal phenomenon, taking much from the Scandinavian spectrum. Their first two tapes sported a cavernous sound which was referential of the more atmospheric Finndeath style (‘Triumphant Ascent‘, 2000) and doomed Swedish hand (‘Tomb of Sleeping Darkness‘, 2001) which’d collectively reflect the modus of records like Cenotaph‘s ‘The Gloomy Reflections of Our Hidden Sorrows‘ and Gorement‘s ‘The Ending Quest‘ among others.

Normative as pan-European styled death metal informed by stuff like Grave, Demigod and Bolt Thrower is today back in the immediate post-millennial age Funebrarum bore few real contemporaries in this specific realm. When the massive ‘Beneath the Columns of Abandoned Gods‘ released in 2001 technical, melodic and especially brutal death metal ruled the roost and typically buried underground momentum for obscure traditional stuff (re: Vore, Shadows FX). The closest thing to an ‘old school’ uprising nearby was maybe Deteriorot‘s debut as the closest-spirited article, at least beyond a couple formative Slugathor demos dealing in similar inspiration. I’d discovered their debut album around ~2004 or so, coinciding with the broader availability of their 2003 EP (‘Dormant Hallucination‘, 2003) of re-recordings (feat. session drums from Justin DeTore) and after I’d expressed huge enthusiasm for anything remotely like the ‘Darkness of the Dead‘ compilation. Those recordings were huge sources of ideation for the ‘old school’ revival that’d taken place throughout the 2000’s, yet ramping toward the “big business” death metal nostalgia at the end of the decade. This original stretch of development and realization is the main reason real heads are hyped for the bands return.

Beyond that point Funebrarum appeared to settle into “side-project” status as their releases coincided with pivot points for Kahan: The end of Abazagorath in 2008 yielded ‘Sleep of Morbid Dreams‘ (2009) and his exit from Disma in 2015 saw the resuscitation of the band as a priority via the ‘Exhumation of the Ancient‘ EP in 2016. Onboarding folks from relatively green, mediocre throwback bands (Mutant Supremacy, Bone Sickness) alongside a post-Ghoulgotha Charlie Koryn for that EP lead to a downgrade from what they’d accomplished on their second album, at least for my own taste. To be fair it was a time-and-place sort of deal wherein that second record’s momentum had been halted after being hailed as key momentum (alongside Dead Congregation‘s output and Disma‘s ‘The Vault of Membros‘) for ‘old school’ death metal revivalist canon as we know it today.

As the riffs run increasingly dry for legions of opportune imitators I’m not so sure I’d argue that the greater ‘old school’ death metal revival is in great health ten years later… but when Funebrarum recorded ‘Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence‘ nearly seven years ago in 2019 they’d crystallized that timeless, peaking pan-ancient death metal energy within their songcraft, arriving upon an exceptional sonic standard which ebbs away from the dungeon-bound underground grime of the past. With this in mind the first potential dilemma for the discerning long-time fan here pertains to whether or not a more crisply realized, somewhat ambitious third reinvigoration presented in full splay will still entice, or, potentially fall in with the crowded slop-death fest abounding. Despite this clearly not being the same crew that wrote those first two LPs they’ve generally pulled off the right stuff here.

Though we’re treated to some eerie keys dispersed within Side A (see also: intro to “Anhela Odor Mortoruom (The Adepts)” and album closer “The Whispering Cathedral” apex) alongside some shredding from maestro Tougas (Chthe’ilist, Worm) throughout, the signature gnarl of Funebrarum is well preserved (or, approximated) within ‘Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence‘. That is to say that their riffcraft is up to par first and foremost but also that the surreal atmosphere, brutal wallop and olden grime of ‘Beneath the Columns of Abandoned Gods‘ appears to be core reference for their current identity and expansion. Each piece included drips with the sort of surreal classicist motioning and impending doom propagated under their name and believably manifests how Funebrarum should sound circa 2026 by way of 2019: Empyreal yet rotted-through.

The abundance of “Ša Nagba Amāru” speaks most directly to the limits of Funebrarum‘s ouevre being pushed to extremes wherein the orchestrated funeral death/doom metal march at the heart of the song and the Nocturnus-esque spin out of it aren’t out of line in any sense but exaggerate the verbage of the group into territory they’d rarely touched upon so directly. The quick bopping Swedeath roll “Through the Barren Halls of Grieving Emptiness” in its first third and its ramping towards exaggerated shred is probably the biggest offender in this sense but all of the whammy abuse in layers helps keep things rooted in the olden domain for the most part. Every corner, every liminal space available for pause in the darkness is now illuminated by some manner of flourish or dive-bomb marking the experience as meticulous and busied (in a good way) for my taste.

The aforementioned “Anhela Odor Mortoruom (The Adepts)” is the prime actor over on Side B a duly representative single per its direct groan into view, the accompanying empyrean orchestration and the muddled riffs which stamp throughout. I’d appreciated the sort of Demilichian maybe Crematory-worthy pull out of the solo break around the ~3:23 minute mark, and was left wanting more of the album to breach that level of bounding and gurgling density. Then again… if this album has manifested this level of work with these folks considered after so many years then the likelihood of a similarly wicked Chthe’ilist record potentially increases in the midst. “From Rotting Burial Shrouds” seems to reinforce that thought albeit via more direct stretch to start. Per my listening experience this pair of songs acted as the most key point of immerse on the full listen, also the point where the vocals more completely pull into Antii Boman-esque gurgitation (see also: “Turning the Stones of Torment”) and reach for the subterranean lows of Funebrarum past.

It might sound odd to reach the end of ‘Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence‘ ~49 minute stretch and feel like it’d only just warmed, or, reached its boiling point for primordial death stew but I’d felt some of their best work lay in the dustier, growling corners of Side B. At this point it’d also make sense to reflect upon Funebrarum‘s perceived lean into more proportionate death/doom metal abandon overall, at least a deeper ratio than that of ‘Sleep of Morbid Dreams‘ beyond maybe “Nex Monumentum”, which is particularly emphasized on the ramping grunt of the its second half. Otherwise the symphonic/orchestral elements applied throughout do a lot change the tone and tension of the band’s style, taking us out of the underdark und graveyard-wandering mode unto dramatic nightside wilderness. It isn’t an off-putting tonal shift for my taste but certainly stinks less of horror and moreso transcendental muse.

The variously adventurous and wretched, dread-filled existential meandering of Funebrarum‘s latest, long-awaited third album ultimately justifies itself in effect and by way of the riff. Despite all that is set in place to generate atmospheric mystère and macabre sonic aplomb the major impact of this album lies in the rhythmic ruination of pure North America-meets-Scandinavia death metal. The manner in which they’ve contorted those traditions to suit this extension of long-held identity reads as highly authentic and suitable for a decade dormant discography. Yes, enduring fandom abounding must reckon with a germinal “revivalist” death metal band basically reviving themselves within their own self examination but in any case the depth of underground ‘old school’ death metal lives on here in glorious extension. A very high recommendation.

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