The folks who insist that all
black metal
is loudness for the sake of loudness are a lot like the folks who think that all
rap
is about "bitches, hoes, blunts, and gats" -- in other words, they have heard part of the story but not the entire story. It's true that a lot of
(especially
gangsta rap
) is obsessed with "bitches, hoes, blunts, and gats," but a true
hip-hop
head can tell you that
is also everything from the lightheartedness of
the Fresh Prince
to the biting political commentary of
Public Enemy
and
KRS-One
to the quirky eccentricity of
De La Soul
the Pharcyde
. And similarly,
(and
death metal
) has had its merciless skull-crushers as well as more melodic outfits such as
Shade Empire
Lifend
.
Dark Funeral
, like
Marduk
, has represented the harsher, more punishing side of
-- and that commitment to savage brutality remains strong on
Attero Totus Sanctus
. Two words that will inevitably be used in connection with this 2005 release are "uncompromising" and "limitations." Both are appropriate; musically,
's hammer-to-the-head approach does have its limitations -- and anyone who has been following the band since the '90s will find that
is highly predictable and doesn't break any new ground for the Nordic black metallers. But predictability isn't necessarily a terrible thing -- certainly not for the all the
diehards who admire the Swedes' refusal to soften their blows.
is predictably exciting -- nothing new by mid-2000s standards, but focused, solid, and exhilarating in a totally bombastic way. This 42-minute CD is unlikely to convert anyone who resisted
's assault in the past, but the true believers will find it to be a worthwhile addition to their occult-obsessed catalog. ~ Alex Henderson