Three years have passed since the ‘Hekatomb‘ when Swedish black metal act Funeral Mist presented their defining record in this unorthodox style of black metal. ‘Deiform‘, their fourth album, sees the iconic multi-instrumentalist Arioch aka D. Rostén perfecting his diabolical aural art that enhances the atmosphere of the songs to sound extremely evil and aggressive. Funeral Mist has profoundly changed from its earlier albums. The appalling, sacrilegious manifestation of the versatile vocals showcases the profane inventions that have been highly sophisticated in craftsmanship. ‘Deiform‘ proves that Arioch‘s intellectual skills and musical approaches are profound in the songwriting levels. Only the darkest of evil can conjure such malevolent forces of evil.

The dramatic intro which builds on a demonic cacophony of pure evil carves the demon inside your soul. From the subdued religious chants permeating on the opening track ‘Twilight of the Flesh‘, the mid-pacing drums create a crushing tone. The powerful guitars immediately capture you with emotive tremolos as the menacing snarls reverberate against furious blast beats. Since the ‘Hekatomb‘ album Arioch rejuvenated his songwriting from the ashes. Therefore, the newest offering feels rekindled with the flames of hellfire. Those familiar with bands like Marduk and Impaled Nazarene will behold the powerful artillery of the massive drums and the chaotic guitars. Most of the songs are brutal and furious, coated with blistering riffage where the tremolos blaze like hellfire. Where the sonic trademarks lace the scathing melodies, they’re followed by the grinding pace of the drums.

Apokalyptikon‘ provides a significant amount of blast beats. As usual, the vocals are the most significant component of the music. The pulverizing drum beats and the abrasive riffage expand the scale of brutality and aggression with menacing snarls flowing through the lightning bolt riffs. In each track of this wicked album Arioch’s vocals lay the groundwork for setting up a vicious atmosphere. ‘In Here‘ moves into the frenzied pace of a war black metal anthem and the frantic riffs combined with blazing melodies bring the majestic tremolos and malicious rasps to a hellish refinement!! ‘Deiform‘ is a raw black metal album that feels deeply steeped in the old-school tradition of the second wave.

Funeral Mist has forged an impressive record of pure madness, the barrage of warmongering riffs and frantic tempos are rife throughout. ‘Children of the Urn‘ includes some captivating chanting sample that builds a grandiose sound. The slow rhythmic pace of the drums gives it a crushing tone. The song takes an outrageous and furious pace in which the burst of the machine gun drums fires rapidly. The cold Scandinavian riffs are ablaze with horrifying rasps. Shimmering melodic black metal riffs shine throughout this track and the slow tempo of the drums adds great memorability to this remarkable song. Arioch brings something quite unique. ‘Deiform‘ is truly a different beast. A song like ‘Hooks of Hunger‘ maintains the trademark pattern of the band where you can perceive the raw old-school black metal quality flowing in the riffing sections.  

Blast beats and devilish snarls segue into a hellish pandemonium, only to manifest in a fury of atonal tremolo-picked-riffs. Among the slower tracks of the album is the title track where the drums take a slower tempo allowing the listener to grasp the unique diversity of the composition. The slow doom-like pace adds melodic textures and the pacing drums build up to a dreadful crescendo. Being the lead vocalist for Marduk for over a decade now, Arioch‘s voice is instantly recognizable with growls fueled by hate.

While the slow, melodic chords on the final track ‘Into Ashes‘ serve as an unnerving setting, the seething inferno of the blistering drums suddenly erupts as atmospheric tremolos create the foundation for the ragging blast beats. The powerful scale of the riffing intensity transforms into an inferno of hellish black metal fury. Arioch has successfully managed to carve his own niche in an unorthodox fashion, but it seems that Funeral Mist has replaced the ritualistic festivities of profanity with highly structured songs that bring back the classic grits of early nineties black metal. This is highly recommended for fans of Triumphator, Marduk and Deathspell Omega. ‘Deiform‘ is a fast-paced war black metal album full of maddening twists and aggression.   

Release Date: December 17th, 2021
Label: Norma Evangelium Diaboli
Tracklist:

1. Twilight of the Flesh
2. Apokalyptikon
3. In Here
4. Children of the Urn
5. Hooks of Hunger
6. Deiform
7. Into Ashes