In the shivering, twilight-stained expanses of Norway, where the frost gnaws at ancient stones and shadows linger under perpetual twilight, Funeral weaves their sorrowful tapestry with the unveiling of their harrowing new single, “My Own Grave”.
This is the first elegy from their impending studio album, “Gospel of Bones”, a cavernous exploration of grief and resilience that promises to echo within the hollow voids of the hearts of doom metal aficionados.
When the weight of the world presses down like the bows of a snow-laden fir, Funeral stands resolute, guardians of the melancholic spirit that defines funeral doom metal. From the icy breaths transmuted into somber melodies to the relentless dirge of their funeral drums, every note in “My Own Grave” is meticulously crafted to pluck at the raw nerves of existential mourning.
Watch the music video for “My Own Grave”, meticulously crafted by Guilherme Henriques, below.
“Gospel of Bones”, produced by the venerable Børge Finstad, is a journey through the depths of despair. Tracks like “Yestertear” and “Procession of Misery” carve out narratives of sorrow deeply intertwined with ethereal harmonies provided by Ingvild “Sareeta” Johannesen. The mournful soundscape is further enriched by the celestial artwork of Tristan Diaz Bastie, drawing listeners into a world where beauty and anguish waltz in a tragic embrace.
The album guides the listener through scenes of mournful splendor, from the prematurely snuffed light in “Too Young to Die” to the abyssal depths of “Når kisten Senkes”. Each song stands as a monument to the perpetual dance between life and the inevitable shadow of death.
“Gospel of Bones” is out on October 16th, 2024, via Season of Mist.
Available Formats:
• Digital Download
• CD Digipak
• 2×12″ Vinyl Gatefold – Black
• 2×12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Natural Transparent
• 2×12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Gold
• 2×12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – White w/ Gold Splatters
Pre-order & pre-save “Gospel of Bones” here.
Tracklist:
1. Too Young to Die (8:39)
2. Yestertear (5:57)
3. Procession of Misery (9:51)
4. These Rusty Nails (7:28)
5. Ailo’s Lullaby (2:18)
6. My Own Grave (7:17)
7. To Break All Hearts of Men (9:05)
8. Når Kisten Senkes (8:02)
9. Three Dead Men (7:49)
Melancholy. Pain. Loss. Solitude. Those had been just some of doom metal main themes ever since bleak pouring rain and the sound of church bell in the distance gave birth to the genre on Black Sabbath eponymous debut over five decades ago. But how many musicians have actually been bearing in their very flesh those gut-wrenching feelings?
Anders Eek – Funeral’s founding member, drummer and indisputable leader since 1991 – doesn’t particularly see it as a badge of honour, but he’d be the first to admit that somehow, the “death and loss we had to go through over the years were extremely painful yet inspiring, as a musician and as a human being”. And indeed, ever since their very first rehearsal in a basement in their hometown of Drammen, just outside of Oslo, Funeral had been ridden with problems and tragedy. Originally inspired by Cathedral, Candlemass, Black Sabbath, Trouble etc, they very quickly set out to create the most depressing and slowest form of doom/death possible at a time when their home country was being hailed as the birthplace of black metal. They went through several labels over the years, only to see them bust soon afterwards. Plagued by recurrent line-up problems, they even lost two of their key members Einar André Fredriksen (bass) and Christian Loos (guitar) in 2003 and 2006, respectively, to suicide and overdose.
But somehow, Eek never surrendered, but instead overcame all those obstacles by releasing over the years a slab of classics, each with its own, distinct personality, from the utter misery of the delicate yet none-so-extreme 1995 debut album “Tragedies” to the more melodic and accessible 2001 gothic/doom masterpiece “In Fields of Pestilent Grief” or 2012 symphonic masterpiece “Oratorium”. Still, after the 30th anniversary concert in Oslo, April 12th 2022, also featuring the original singer Toril Snyen on the track “taarene”, “life got in the way” as Anders puts it. “Some of us had kids, others moved out. Even I had quite a lot of things going on in my personal life and, at least for a while, maybe less drive to keep on carrying on the weight of the band on my shoulders. I never stopped writing music though because it’s something I’ve always done anyway”.
2021 sees the band releasing Praesentialis in Aeternum (something along the line of “here eternally”) as a “natural progression”. Guesting on opening track “Ånd”, the first single off the record, is Lars Nedland, Sindre’s own brother of Borknagar and Solefald fame. It’s also the first album for their new partner, Season of Mist.
In 2020 Eek started writing what was to become the album “Gospel of Bones”, to be released in October 2024.
In 2022 Singer Sindre Nedland was replaced by the professionally trained baritone opera singer Eirik Krokfjord (specialized in the works of Richard Wagner), known from both the Norwegian Opera Choir, as well as having several leading roles in operas both in Norway and abroad.
Violinist Ingvild Johannessen also joined the ranks, and the band moved away from programmed orchestration, and recorded all strings analogue. This time around also incorporating the traditional Norwegian instrument the Harding fiddle, which is a key element throughout the entire upcoming album, moving the band slightly towards a more “folk” sound, combined with the classical opera-vocals of E. Krokfjord. Hopefully building bridges between both metal music, folk- rock and classical music.
Roughly 20 tracks were composed throughout the Covid pandemic (9 of whom made it to the studio), and yet again recorded and mixed at Toproom Studio, by Børge Finstad.
Violinist Øyvind Rauset, from the cult Norwegian folk-rock band Folque, is performing on 2 tracks as a guest musician, as well as Espen Ingierd, with his very distinct singing-style in the vein of John Lennon, Michael Gira (Swans) etc from cult doom/death band Beyond Dawn singing on 2 tracks.
The album also contains an instrumental cover song , written by Kjetil Selvik, and is a melancholic piece only consisting of harding fiddle and church organ.
The lyrical content of the album is an autobiography of life’s mishaps of drummer/composer A. Eek, and deals with real darkness, misery, pain and loss. “A Gospel of Bones”.
Line-up:
Anders Eek – Drums
Eirik Krokfjord – Vocals
Ingvild Johannesen – Violin
Rune Gandrud – Bass
Stian Kråbøl – Guitars
Morten Søbyskogen – Guitars
Recording Studio:
Toproom Studio & Studio 42
Production Credits:
Produced by Børge Finstad
Sound Engineered by Anders Langberg
Mixed & Mastered at Toproom Studio by Børge Finstad
Guest Musicians:
Øyvind Rauset
Espen Ingjerd
Vilde Kråbøl
Anders Langberg
Cover Art:
Tristan Diaz Bastie
Photography:
Guilherme Henriques
Weblinks:
www.facebook.com/funeralnorway
instagram.com/funeralnorway
