I had totally forgot about this band, but sometimes they come back! Funeral Oration are a milestone of Italian metal underground, if you think that it is here that Fabban started his career (he is better known for being a member of bands like Aborym and Malfeitor). I think I even saw them playing live a long time ago in Italy, but then they disappeared after a few demos and their first full length album Sursum Luna. The reason for that was partly that Fabban started new projects, but also the other members were busy with other personal business. For instance vocalist The Old Nick has become a teacher and bibliophile over these years (in 2017 he also self-produced a booklet containing his direct correspondence with Mayhem’s Dead before his suicide, aptly named Letters From The Dead).
But now the band is back with a brand new sophomore album Eliphas Love. Having seen the result, I can say is was worth waiting so long, because Eliphas Love is a masterpiece and for sure one of the best albums in 2019 so far.
First of all we have to mention that the Italian band from Apulia has shifted from death metal to a black metal style with occult themes inspired by the work of A.O.Spare, M.Rollinat, A.Saint-Yves d'Alveydre and S.de Guaita, poets and occultists from the late XIX and early XX century. A few lines are very beautiful, like the following ones taken from “Anathema di Zos”:
Che differenza esiste fra la vita e la morte,
che differenza fra il sogno e la realtà,
conoscete qualcosa oltre il vostro fetore?
What is the difference between life and death,
what difference between dream and reality,
do you know anything besides your own stench?
Musically speaking, you can recognize the typical Italian extreme grove, like in the beginning of “Furor eretico” which pays tribute to the Italian tradition, but at the same time it also creates also something new. There is a wisely used synth, variety of riffs, arrangements and atmospheres, a perfect technical performance of the musicians, evil vocals, and the Italian language fits into the sound perfectly.
In one word: masterpiece!
Notes:
Eliphas Love was released on August 16. 2016 through Avantgarde Music.
Personnel:
Luca M.: Drums
Luca La Cara: Guitars, Keyboards
TheOldNick: Vocals
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
But now the band is back with a brand new sophomore album Eliphas Love. Having seen the result, I can say is was worth waiting so long, because Eliphas Love is a masterpiece and for sure one of the best albums in 2019 so far.
First of all we have to mention that the Italian band from Apulia has shifted from death metal to a black metal style with occult themes inspired by the work of A.O.Spare, M.Rollinat, A.Saint-Yves d'Alveydre and S.de Guaita, poets and occultists from the late XIX and early XX century. A few lines are very beautiful, like the following ones taken from “Anathema di Zos”:
Che differenza esiste fra la vita e la morte,
che differenza fra il sogno e la realtà,
conoscete qualcosa oltre il vostro fetore?
What is the difference between life and death,
what difference between dream and reality,
do you know anything besides your own stench?
Musically speaking, you can recognize the typical Italian extreme grove, like in the beginning of “Furor eretico” which pays tribute to the Italian tradition, but at the same time it also creates also something new. There is a wisely used synth, variety of riffs, arrangements and atmospheres, a perfect technical performance of the musicians, evil vocals, and the Italian language fits into the sound perfectly.
In one word: masterpiece!
Notes:
Eliphas Love was released on August 16. 2016 through Avantgarde Music.
Personnel:
Luca M.: Drums
Luca La Cara: Guitars, Keyboards
TheOldNick: Vocals
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
