GUITARS - MAKING MUSIC - FUNERAL MIST and COLLECTING VINYL

So hello there! It's been quite awhile to say the least. I’m not really into social media or writing at the moment. Well here I am again love or hate it.

Mainly because of the LTD Explorer in this picture (my Jackson & Ibanez before). That means my posts here and on Instagram isn’t happening. Well I've done a few posts now in August I want to share here also.

Decided in January to pick up the guitar again after some 20 years... Much do to the Covid pandemic that lead to me spending so much time at home.

Especially when I was let go from my work in the beginning of April and being paid just sitting at home until June.

Today's standard to play the guitar so much different than back in the late 90's/early 2000. I mean one only has to own a computer to be able to record ones creations. It also sounds amazing! Not like back in the straight to a boombox days and press record unto a cassette-tape.

It’s an such an amazing and rewarding hobby. Just the playing, creating my own riffs/music, adding solos, program drums and work on recorded songs.

It's such a giving experience especially when one feels like one is improving all the time. I don't learn to play a bunch of covers sure some riffs here and there but prefer to do something original.

Play in all sorts of tunings. All the way from E-standard to tuned down to B-standard. Also drop-D and drop-C. But what I've tuned my guitar to most of my recordings is DADFAd.

For some reason I get very inspired playing the strings in that tuning. Don't ask me why though.

This is and will remain a one man project. But I will buy a bass some cheaper 200-300 Euro one someday. Also I really want a cheap keyboard. Nothing fancy though. 

Don’t plan to release any of my music. It’s mainly for my own "self sanity", haha. Like writing was a relaxing thing for me the guitar has become to same thing for me if I ain't sociallycing 

I’m hugely inspired by Death Metal bands but also Black Metal of course. To be specific especially these albums/releases:

• ANGELCORPSE - Hammer of the Gods; Exterminate and The Inexorable

• DEATH - Scream Bloody Gore; Leprosy; Spiritual Healing; Human; Individual Thought Patterns and Symbolic

• FUNERAL MIST - Devilry; Salvation; Maranatha and Hekatomb

• MARDUK - Fuck Me Jesus; Here’s No Peace; Dark Endless; Those of the Unlight and onwards...

• DISSECTION - The Somberlain; Storm of the Light’s Bane and The Past Is Alive

• MORBID ANGEL - Altars Of Madness; Blessed Are The Sick; Abominations of Desolations; Covenant and Domination

• DISMEMBER - Like An Everflowing Stream; Indecent And Obscene and Death Metal

• ENTOMBED - Left Hand Path and Clandestine

• MESHUGGAH - Destroy Erase Improve; Catch Thirtytree and obZen

• KRISIUN - Conquers Of Armageddon; Southern Storm and The Great Execution

• DEATHSPELL OMEGA - Si Monvmentvm Reqvires Circvmspice and Drought 

There’s a lot of other inspirations like:

Albums - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas; Necroticism Descanting The Insalubrious; Unquestionable Presence; Tales From The Thousand Lakes; Master Of Puppets; Ride The Lightning etc.

Bands - Burzum; Bathory; Darkthrone; Isengard; Kreator; Sepultura; Pantera; Black Sabbath; Atheist and many North American Death Metal bands etc.

Rock guitarists - Jimmy Page; David Gilmour; Jimi Hendrix; Keith Richards; Pete Townsend; Duane Allman and even Eddie Van fucking Halen etc.

Could’ve mention so MANY more. Too many to mention here! These ones are all very inspiring right now. Also take note that all those bands listed aren’t my favorite bands. Some might be!

Obviously a white Explorer with EMG 81/60 pickups is a homage to James Hetfield during the 80’s. Also it sounds and looks amazing. But nah ain’t gonna be putting “EET FUK” on it sometime soon. Am aware he used a ESP and not a LTD for that guitar, but you know who owns LTD.

To describe my sound (dislike the word "tone") Blackened Death and if I have to mention some band Angelcorpse comes closest also more North American Death than Swedish. Btw. finally got a 1st print LP of Angelcorpse - Exterminate masterpiece last year (or early 2020?). Being 40 years fucks with my memory I tell you, haha.

At times Death comes to mind, but far from as technically amazing as Chuck Schuldiner. 

The Krisiun albums listed also resemble my music. Unintentionally! Don't get me wrong they’re a brilliant band. I’m not however even near any such perfection as any of my 5 main influences.

Incorporate early Marduk like Fuck Me Jesus; Those Of The Unlight also Heaven Shall Burn..; the Obedience EP and the early Mortuus albums. Plus Funeral Mist especially Maranatha and Salvation are extremely inspiring.

The solos by Fredrik Thordendal of Meshuggah are also a huge inspiration when I record leads.

Want to share my new Funeral Mist merch in this post also. It's obviously the Hekatomb hoodie at the beginning of the post that was released recently. The white t-shirt is a Maranatha also just released, like all others in the post and is limited to 110 copies at Holy Poison.

During the hellish 2020 Arioch/Holy Poison & NoEvDia has been quite busy releasing a cassette-tape album collection box, a hoodie; the DomJord album Sporer & t-shirts (5 new? In Manus Tuas; Maranatha; Pallor Mortiis; Trisagion; Metamorphosis). Maybe some reissued shirt I already own, also ordered a DomJord). Got to get them all of course!

As far as other music collecting during this year I still got a bunch of new releases on vinyl. Of course my ever growing Marduk collection has gotten a bunch of more. On Wednesday I bought a Dark Endless LP (front cover variation) over at Sound Pollution during a Stockholm visit. The first ever official Funeral Mist hoodie arrived on thursday.

Although I’m just happy for him releasing the DomJord project. Sporer is my favorite record of 2020 thus far. Don’t know if any ambient album has become my favorite of a year?

My hope is that Arioch puts together another Funeral Mist album. Even if Hekatomb still feels fresh. The timing seems very fitting for another one.

Another Marduk release would also be fantastic because I don’t see how any concerts will happening in Sweden until 2022.

So my hope is that the guys creativity is high. But just that Fenriz’s Isengard will release a “new” album Vårjevndøgn (recording from 1989 thought to have been lost forever) is more than satisfying. Really looking forward to the new Necrophobic also what I heard so far sounds amazing.

The only t-shirt to be limited to 50 copies is the Trisagion (the one above). My favorite out of the 4 ones is probably the white Maranatha one. The hoodie is really the best here, a top-3 Funeral Mist in my entire collection of theirs and I got MANY.

As far as I know this hoodie isn’t released in limited quantities. My DomJord t-shirt was another 50 copies one.Thanks for your time and hope it doesn't take me forever to do another post. The ranking of all 14 Marduk studio albums has been finished for 8 months and its been 3 years since my original... 

Anyway as always remember to PRAISE HAIL FUNERAL MIST & MARDUK!!

FUNERAL MIST - SALVATION (2003) VINYLS & POSTERS x 3

This crown jewel of an album had its 15th anniversary earlier this year and here's my complete vinyl collection of them all. Included the Salvation from the Trisagion (2013) vinyl boxset that also consists of Devilry and Maranatha.

Have already posted a similar complete vinyl collection of Devilry (1998) earlier this year check it out here if you're interested. Don't own nearly as many CD's of Salvation as Devilry only have the original Norma Evangelium Diaboli CD from 2003. The ones I'm looking out for most are the one on The Ajna Offensive from 2006 & the Season Of Mist from 2012. Will have more with time but I'm not in any hurry.

First out one of my biggest gems in my entire collection and it’s never about fucking monetary value in these cases. Salvation means something for me, something much more then money can buy.

Salvation ‎(2 x LP) 2003 Norma Evangelium Diaboli

The layout of the 2003 release I like the most. Only Arioch (& Dauthus on this release) can create that weird, twisted, sinister, sick & astonishing design. Brilliant poster, the pictures of the “band” & lyrics inlay are amazing.

The marks/branding of the pics might be a bit overkill but I don't like it whenever some shithead at Instagram uses my images from my collection. Which have happened on numerous occasions.

Salvation ‎(2 x LP) from the 2013 Trisagion boxset Norma Evangelium Diaboli

The 5 x LP Trisagion (2013) boxset naturally includes Salvation. Haven’t actually played any of those LP’s because I want to keep them as pristine as possible. Great design once again but the box only comes with 1 poster. However it’s my favorite Funeral Mist poster of the 9 different official ones that I own.

Salvation ‎(2 x LP) reissue 2017 Norma Evangelium Diaboli

In 2017 all 3 releases were reissued, likely to high demand and the expensive prices. The cover artwork has a slightly different color, it looks like the Trisagion one. Almost not notable with my crappy iPhone camera. 

Inside the gatefold there’s a great Arioch picture & the lyrics. Although a great piece of artwork on the poster but I think it has a bit too much dark grey color. As does the 2 other 2017 reissue posters.

Salvation ‎(CD) 2003 Norma Evangelium Diaboli

Chose to include this one also. Because it's worth buying the CD copy just for the 16-page booklet alone. It got even more artwork then the vinyl releases and esthetics that really pleases my eyes.

This is one of my favorite Black Metal albums of all time. If I ever did a list of my best records 2000-18 Salvation would be in 2nd place. Don’t expect such list from me though it's too hard. Actually tried once but gave up. I can say that lots of Funeral Mist, Marduk, Wardruna etc. at the top but also some newer bands. But never say never...

A bit off-topic but I do prefer Maranatha just a little bit more over Salvation but it's like choosing between Storm Of The Light's Bane and The Somberlain by Dissection and that's EXTREMELY difficult.

Any which way you own Salvation is the right way (not a download one or burnt CD-copy though). When you got it in your hands you will feel the magic within this masterpiece.

FUNERAL MIST - DEVILRY (1998)

20 years ago Funeral Mist released their debut MCD Devilry on Shadow Records. A year later in 1999 it was also released on LP by the same record label.

Here’s all the different versions I have of this devilish brilliant release:

1998 CD Shadow Records SHADOW 003
1999 LP Shadow Records Shadow 003 with the poster
2005 LP Norma Evangelium Diaboli NED 009 with the poster
2006 CD The Ajna Offensive FLAME 38
2012 CD Season Of Mist SOM 729
2013 LP gatefold Norma Evangelium Diaboli NED 035 (from the Trisagion box comes with a poster)
2017 LP gatefold Norma Evangelium Diaboli NED 009 with the poster

1998 Shadow Records

Missing 3 CD reissues on Norma Evangelium Diaboli. Will get those eventually, but I’m in no hurry.

In the late 90's I became aware of "newer" bands like Malign, Sorhin, Ofermod, Triumphator and of course Funeral Mist. I owned the MCD Here’s No Peace (1997) by Marduk that Marcus Tena had released on his label Shadow Records.

1999 LP Shadow Records

He frequently posted amazing promo ads in a Swedish Metal magazine (see others I scanned on my Instagram @herr_black_metal) and he had a cool store in Stockholm. You can read about my only visit to that short lived store also over at my Instagram.

1999 LP Shadow Records

I became very intrigued by the new wave of bands through reading about them in fanzines. They were really into the Black Metal scene as a lifestyle, something that many other bands at the time had lost. Remember really wanting to hear Malign but I couldn’t find any of their releases and I didn't know how to neither did I dabble with MP3 bullshit. However the Devilry MCD by Funeral Mist was obtainable.

The 5-song MCD was excellent and one could hear the infernal potential Arioch possessed. And that’s how I discovered Funeral Mist.

2005 Norma Evangelium Diaboli

My absolute favorite out of these versions I own is of course the first print vinyl on Shadow Records from 1999 with the poster, insert and the sticker that was limited to 300 copies. It has a bonus song called Hellspell 2 that one was recorded in November of 1998 in the drummer Necromorbus studio. Where Arioch and him also recorded the entire Devilry CD in October 1997 and January 1998.

2006 The Ajna Offensive and 2012 Season Of Mist

All re-releases on CD and LP since 2005 of Devilry after the Shadow Records vinyl have all included 4 additional songs from their Havoc Demo II 1996 and the Hellspell 2 song. Havoc Demo II 1996 was the first Funeral Mist release to feature Arioch as guitarist, bassist and vocalist. On the former demo Darkness (1995) he was the bass player and also backing vocalist.

2013 Norma Evangelium Diaboli (from the Trisagion vinyl box set)

It’s not many other releases in my entire collection that I value as high as that Devilry on Shadow Records because Funeral Mist is my favorite band and Shadow Records have also meant so much for me. And I’m NOT talking about fucking monetary value!

Just what means most to me personally. Like the first print LP of the Dismember brilliant debut Like An Everflowing Stream (1991) that my older sister gave to me in the 90’s is probably my personally most valued. Also when my great friend for almost 25 years Adde of the amazing band Tyrant Wrath gave me his own personal copy of the excellent Pleasure To Kill (1986) by Kreator the first print German vinyl on Noise Records

2017 Norma Evangelium Diaboli 

There’s other releases that I also regard very high in my collection but that Devilry LP truly has a very special place in my collection.

Shadow Records promo ad scanned from an issue of Close-Up Magazine when Devilry was first released. On top the Marduk EP‎ Here's No Peace (1997) that was released on LP in 1998 one year after Shadow Records released the 3-song MCD.

FUNERAL MIST - HEKATOMB (2018) LP and CD song by song review

Even though I don't like to use the term my favorite band. Yes I do think that Funeral Mist is even better then Marduk, Dissection and Emperor the three bands that got me into this genre back in 1994. Even better then other bands that I also rate very high like Darkthrone, Bathory, Burzum, Arcturus and Wardruna. So one could definitely say Funeral Mist is my favorite band.

Didn't think we would ever see another album by Funeral Mist. It's "only" been 9 years since Arioch released Maranatha in 2009 but I thought Arioch/Mortuus was satisfied with Marduk being his main and only musical outlet.

So it was quite a shock when I got the e-mail on June 9th from the Norma Evangelium Diaboli bandcamp saying that Funeral Mist was releasing a new album that was called Hekatomb. It was also being released just 6 days later. Sadly the wait got longer with shipping then on the 15th.

However the album was available to stream via the Bandcamp phone app since the 13th and on their site if you had bought the album there which I had. Usually I mainly listening to my albums on a stereo and preferable on vinyl.

It was so tempting to stream Hekatomb and I admit that I had to do it because I was going literally batshit crazy waiting for it to hear it. My LP and CD came into my possession on Tuesday and I could finally listen to the damn thing properly. One of the two t-shirts also came in that package the other one has been shipped now and the Hekatomb silkscreen poster. Will do a post when I got both t-shirts I now own 9 Funeral Mist ones so I'm missing a few.

Arioch is of course vocalist and play guitar and bass on the record like he has done since the 2nd Funeral Mist release the Havoc Demo II '96. He has the former Marduk drummer Lars Broddesson (2006-2013) or "Lars B" as the booklet say play drums on Hekatomb. Just like on the previous album Maranatha he once again recorded the album in the Marduk bassist Devo Andersson owned Endarker Studio.

I purposely didn’t read any reviews, opinions, comments or even talked with anyone about the Hekatomb album. Even if I’m not an easily impressionable person I wanted my opinion be free of any other persons opinions about it.

Don't know if the people who read my blog follow me on Instagram @herr_black_metal there many will comment or send messages with "great/nice/awesome review". Now I've never considered myself a reviewer even if some seem to think that I am.

So for this post I will try and act as one. That means I cannot factor in expectations only what’s presented on the album. If that make sense? Anyway here we go:

Once again we're cast into the weird twisted sinister realm only Arioch can create and reign with in Funeral Mist.

I really like the cover artwork to Hekatomb it looks nothing like Salvation (2003) or Devilry (1998) and way different then my favorite cover art of them all Maranatha (2009). The rest of the layout is in the same vein as the ones we're familiar with from the previous albums.

Both the CD and LP comes with a lyrics booklet, the CD one has more pictures then the LP one. A big disappointment is that Hekatomb doesn't come with a poster like Funeral Mist LP's usually do, even the reissued vinyls had that. There's a Hekatomb silkscreen that I ordered via Funeral Mist bandcamp. Anyway on with the song by song review:

In Nomine Domini (4:31) is the opening song which in Latin means "in the name of God". After a short intro the bass starts playing in a slow tempo about 50 seconds into the song it takes off and clearly Funeral Mist are fucking back at full force! The tempo slows down again a sample of some Swedish preacher screaming I can only hear clearly "i Jesu namn" which means as you probably can guess "in the name of Jesus" then it intense once again. Perfect opening of the album that seamlessly transcends into the next song.

Naught But Death (4:42) starts of with a great guitar riff, throughout the song a chanting voice is heard in the mix. They blend very well with Arioch's vocals. It's another amazing song and if Funeral Mist played live I would headbang my longhaired scalp through the entire beast of a song.

Shedding Skin (4:48) takes of from the start and it goes fast as hell. Here you can hear why Arioch is in my opinion the best vocalist in the scene and of all time. His vocal approach to the songs of Funeral Mist is very different from what he does in Marduk it sounds much more possessive and demonic. Something bands should take not of this album more or Funeral Mist in general on how to get the right flow on the record. So far the songs on Hekatomb are placed in the perfect order (and it continues throughout the entire album). Anyway Shedding Skin is another masterpiece of a song.

Cockatrice (7:27) the second longest song on Hekatomb. It starts off fast and with guitar playing twisted leads and shouldn't fit the song but it does it continues in the song on occasion. The keyboard is first heard 1.5 min into the song about halfway in they start again to completely take over the song when the tempo drops. A full minute ambient part add much to the mood of the song. Then the other instruments comes back and we're once again in Funeral Mist frantic madness. A lonely slow drum beat ends the song, the same one that goes into the next song.

Metamorphosis (7:35) the longest song on the album. The B-side of the album like I wrote start with the exact drumbeat as the previous one ended with about 30 seconds in the guitar and a low mixed choir join. The slow tempo continues and about half way in the choir chants now higher in the mix.

I don't have any particular favorite songs on the album because Hekatomb is a full experience. But both Cockatrice and Metamorphosis my suggestion is that if your not already completely lost into the Funeral Mist madness listen carefully to those two.

Within The Without (3:13) is the shortest song on the album but in those 3 minutes Arioch pack so much into the song. It starts of fast and frantic the guitar work by Arioch is amazing and drummer Lars B also should get praise for his great performance on the entire album. A church bell (?) chimes in the slow part of the song. It's another amazing song.

Hosanna (4:29) meaning a cry expressing an appeal for divine help. The song is is furious violent extreme aggression perfectly executed. Arioch  or D. "Arioch" Rostén as he call himself in the booklet once again wrote another already classic song.

Pallor Mortis (6:16) the last one on the album is the perfect ending song. It has moments in it that reminds me of the 2 previous albums songs. A frantic child or woman screams in a strange language (Latin?) during the 2 minutes final moments of the song and album. The last song on every Funeral Mist album has always been something special and on Hekatomb it's also a very special song and I'm very pleased with the final song.

8 songs in 43 minutes goes very fast and I’m left wanting more. It’s NOT a complaint I much rather have a superb 43 min experience then a subpar 74 min one. The album is as long as it needs nothing is left by coincidence the placement and pace of every song is perfectly executed. That's my view on Hekatomb as a whole it sounds excellent both the performance by Arioch and Lars B are phenomenal so is the production in the Endarker Studio once again.

The album sounds like how I imagined or dreamed a followup to Maranatha should sound like. Hekatomb is much closer to that album musically then Salvation.

If I had to give it a review rating score it's 10 of 10. The best Black Metal masterpiece I've heard in many many years.

Now for the final question is this better then their previous albums?

Well certainly better then Devilry but I can't say that Hekatomb is better then neither Salvation or my favorite Funeral Mist release Maranatha but its not far away from those two in my opinion.

Even if favorites can change and great albums tends to grow on you. Take for instance Mayhem's masterpiece De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994) when I heard it for the first time in the mid 90's I thought it was a great album. But I didn't know that it would become my all time favorite record until years later. When I summarize the year 2018 or if I even do a a re-review of Hekatomb in 3-6 months who knows what I feel about it then?


Have gotten the 2 t-shirts and the poster so here they are:

FUNERAL MIST - TRISAGION (2013) vinyl boxset

The Evil, The Dark and The Grim. This is a post for the best vinyl boxset ever released in my opinion, all 3 Funeral Mist releases collected in one box Trisagion was released on Norma Evangelium Diaboli in 2013.

Even if I of course already own Devilry, Salvation and Maranatha on a bunch of vinyls and CD's this box was a must have in my collection. Because Funeral Mist are one band I actively collect everything of.

I never gonna play these records, they are as mint as mint could be. The A1 poster hangs proudly on my wall. The favorite Funeral Mist t-shirt in my collection of the 7 that I own have the same design as the poster. There's also a woven patch inside the box. Plus a lyrics booklet 28-pages with some of the best lyrics in the Black Metal scene, also some great looking designs.

If you don't own any of the Funeral Mist vinyls already I can't recommend this box enough. Maranatha (2009) and Salvation (2003) are the best records of this century and Arioch has done the best vocal performance on those records since what Attila Csihar did on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994) with Mayhem. I'm not putting down what Dead did for Mayhem and the Black Metal scene he was truly one of a great kind.

Anyway if Arioch decides to never release any new Funeral Mist material I still can listen too these records over and over, again and again.

Forever and ever. Forever and ever. Forever and ever. Forever and ever. Forever and ever. Forever and ever. Until eternity ends...