Dark Funeral – We Are The Apocalypse

Among a series of high-profile announcements, this album also became one of the most long-awaited premieres of 2022. The cult and at the same time odious status of Dark Funeral is difficult to overestimate, the release of such a group simply cannot go unnoticed. And these gentlemen are still able to surprise well, in any case a very specific sound attracted attention from promo-videos.

The new album was not a revelation, but it lived up to expectations - a series of insane speeds and a wall of sound, catchy melodies, expressive vocal manner. The band continues to use all the same artistic techniques peculiar to the Swedish wave of Black Metal and to the creation of which they themselves once had a hand. As of today, they are one of the most organic bands in their amplua, their recordings do not give the impression of bad taste, the material is qualitatively worked out and brought to mind. The new album is no exception - it's at a very high level for them.

It's fair to say that this album is a more aggressive follow-up to "Where Shadows Forever Reign". The extreme core dominates literally every track due to the steely sound of the drums, which is brought forward in the overall mix. Perhaps this is the most brutal Dark Funeral album in terms of sound engineering. While some buds are looking for opportunities for a more delicate sound, Dark Funeral decided to simply knock out the listener with an attacking rhythm section. In the case of mastering for vinyl, there is a feeling that they overdid it and the idea was not implemented very successfully, because mostly only drums and vocals are heard. Guitars sound somewhere far away and they are not enough in the volume of sound, the melodies periodically breaks through a storm of uncompromising blastbeats, but this is at least unusual, because so few guitars have never been in their recordings. On the other hand, the band has a completely new sound, perhaps this is the trick.

Vinyl release turned out to be quite simple for such a pompous bands Dark Funeral - singlesleeve and insert. For a band called "Ineffable Kings of Darkness", at least a huge double-sided poster, a multi-page full-size booklet and other printing riches are missing. Just joke! But... This elements increase the collector's value and completeness of the edition. The vinyl itself is of excellent quality, there are no noises, no clicks or other flaws that prevent high-quality listening.

Final impressions: album - 5/5; but sound on vinyl - 4/5.

"Let the Devil In" is a great track, but the rest of the album does not have the same distinction; too many of the other tracks are just too similar to each other. This lack of variation is a major weakness and I feel the album does not reach its full potential.

Received mine at the time of commenting. Love the packaging. Got her safely from Germany to the US. Vinyl sounds great, CD is in perfect condition

I was so looking forward to it. But as almost each other century media vinyl i got the last years the vinyl is not flat. Its far away from flat. its almost a cone and in consequence I can only play one side. If you want ultra cheep pressings from ex underground metal bands, buy century media or nuclear blast. I am so pissed of.

CD included is NOT the digipack version !
It is just a cardboard, not even a Digisleeve... very disappointed !