Silence is no longer an option for Dark Funeral.
Active since 1993 and with seven studio albums to their credit, the band composed of guitarists Lord Ahriman and Chaq Mol, vocalist Heljarmadr, bassist Adra-Melek, and drummer Jalomaah is gearing up for its upcoming tour, which they’re encouraging us to check out with the release of their new live album, A Beast To Praise.
Recorded at Fållan, an iconic venue in Stockholm – the band’s hometown – on April 16, 2022, just as the world was beginning to recover from the latest pandemic that had paralyzed it for two years, the Swedish band was joined by Samael and Eleine, celebrating the release of their latest album, We Are the Apocalypse. Thirteen tracks were performed, and while four of them were, of course, from this latest album, the band didn’t forget its classics, such as the eponymous The Secrets of the Black Arts, which the founder has been performing for over twenty-five years (the album will celebrate its thirtieth anniversary in 2026), or Vobiscum Satanas, released two years later. So there were few surprises in the setlist, but Erik Sjölander’s sound recording – a longtime collaborator with the band, having worked with them on the albums Attera Totus Sanctus and Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus, as well as the live recordings Attera Orbis Terrarum – Part I and II – perfectly captures the atmosphere of their concerts. Having seen the band seven times at festivals and in venues between 2016 and 2025, I can assure you that you can literally feel hell descending upon you with every note as Heljarmadr screams like a general of the cursed armies of chaos. The recording also includes the crowd’s cheers, like the ones that close out My Funeral” one of my favorite tracks, and although I don’t understand a word of Swedish, the frontman’s occasional remarks are perfect for breaking up the songs. I’m also captivated by When I’m Gone, which now features in (almost) all of the band’s setlists, and it’s on tracks like this that you truly realize the power of Dark Funeral, especially when, just a few minutes later, they perform monuments of darkness like Vobiscum Satanas or Let the Devil In.
Although I’m not really a fan of live albums, I can assure you that the hour-long A Beast To Praise is a delight for the band’s fans! Dark Funeral is a great band, and I highly recommend that you form your own opinion not only through this album but also at their upcoming tour, scheduled for October alongside two other Black Metal legends.