Customer Reviews

Under a Funeral Moon (Dig)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I saw this cd at the record store, I thought I would try this out. That was about 4 years ago. Hell what a catch this one was. I was literally blown away. This band was my first intro to the evil and raw black metal. I've heard Marduk, and Dark Funeral and some other bands, but this band was really awesome and I couldn't get enough. I at least heard this cd 5 times the first day I bought it. My faves are Natassja In Eternal Sleep, Unholy Black Metal, and the title track. To me this is one of thier best but they do have others. Hail Darkthrone!!!!

This album was made during Darkthrone's most productive-era (1992-1996). It's quite an experience, the typical raw garage sound is present here as with all their works. There's an organic sound in the background and some songs seem cut-off as if the tape ran out while they were still playing. Under A Funeral Moon gives the listener a dark, nihilistic atmosphere in which there is absence of all life or anything remotely positive. The shredding of the guitars along with the repetitive, simplistic, yet effective drumming of lyricist Fenriz make up the Darkthrone sound here.

They project an image of demons who can't play their instruments. Darkthrone added a granularity of organic noise to the music as well the room sound of the production and the cutting of tracks in random lightspeed fades, an aesthetic shift that now has been adopted by even the worst of the imitators. The style of music here would be best compared to Bathory around (1984-1987) and Mayhem (1988-1991). Under A Funeral Moon is one of the four essential Darkthrone albums, A Blaze In The Northern Sky, Transylvanian Hunger and Panzerfaust being the other three.

Inferior only to Transilvanian Hunger, this is the masters' second best album and one of the greatest black metal albums ever. Under A Funeral Moon is particularly harsh and cold, even compared to other Darkthrone albums. The progress they made since A Blaze In The Northern Sky is really impressive; although they had still to produce their masterpiece, they had already left all competition behind them. The guitars are buzzsaw, fuzzy and ultra-raw; mixing brutal, cold and innovative fast riffs with truly delicious oldschool riffs. The vocals are great; the deep echo gives them a ghostly feel. The drums are awesome. Some highlights: Natassja In Eternal Sleep, Summer Of The Diabolical Holocaust and the awesome title track. TH will always be the nr 1 BM album, but Under A Funeral Moon is certainly in the top 10, as are A Blaze and Panzerfaust. This is essential black metal.

After years of ridiculing Darkthrone and other Kvlt Black metal bands I have finally grown to appreciate them. The majority of the credit goes to Burzum. I still think Burzum is the better band. On the other hand darkthrone's "claws of time","En Vind Av Sorg", and "Hans Siste Vinter" got me to open up too darkthrone.
If they got me to like darkthrone than Under a Funeral Moon made me love darkthrone. Before you read any further if you have never heard a darkthrone song I suggest that you listen to them yourself before you buy it based on my review. Rothmetalradio.com is a good place to hear darkthrone. 99% of the people in the world would probably hate this band with a passion. Of course if you are interested enough to be reading this sorry review than I would say you have a 70% chance of despising this band with a passion. Now if you are in the top 30% left than you are a truly sick individule like myself, and you might need tharapy. Aside from the issues of misanthropic, nihilistic behaviour this is an awsome cd. I havnt given it a 5 star rating because it still might grow on me more. The trick to likeing darkthrone is to clear your demented mind of all preconcieved notions of what music is supposed to sound like. Than kick back and play the cd until you are in a trance. On a side note there is a small possibility you will end up cutting youself or burning your eyeball with a candle during this darkthrone induced trance. It has been described offten as minimalism. This means that there is no complex song arrangements whatsoever. That means opeth fans should stop reading this now. I like opeth too, but your probably not sick enough to grasp darkthrone. The genious of darkthrone is the erie, fuzzy repetive riffs that affect you on a subliminal level. Perhaps the only thing more difficult to listen to is noisy industrial like Einsturzende Neubauten, or some good Skinny Puppy which my deranged mind seems to enjoy as well.To the true and grimm elitist feel free to vote "no" now. Anyways enough of this incoherrant babel. On to the review.
Natassja in Eternal Sleep 8.5 Hypnotic, swaying riffs. Awsome frickin song.
Summer of the Diabolical Holocaust 9 With a name like this it cant be a happy song. More of the same from Natassja. They actually incorporate a solo in this one. It still stay grimm.
Dance of Eternal Shadows 7 Not bad at all. Just not one of the best.
Unholy Black Metal 7.5 Classic! You have to love this song. Not as trance inducing as the first two, but still a wicked dose of unholy black metal.A couple of solo's are thrown in. They are not beautiful or technical. Just chilling grimmness.
To Walk the Infernal Fields 6.5 Not bad, but probably one of my least favorites.
Under a Funeral Moon 8.5 Maybe the most technical song on the cd. It took a while for this one to grow on me. It went from being my least favorite song to being one of my favorites.
Inn I de Dype Skogers Favn 6.5 Again not one of the better tracks here.
Crossing the Triangle of Flames 8 Great song to close with. Especially the last half of it. The bells give it a forboding, damning tone.
Anyways go and buy some burzum and darkthrone if you feel like you want to try the grimm cold reality of darkness.

This is one of darkthrone's earlier releases and it is their 2nd best album (T.H. #1, always will be) fav song is Inn I Dype De Skogers Favn b/c it's one of their first Norge songs and it kicks total ass

I'm new to Darkthrone and found a new love in the black metal scene. These guys are so tounge in cheek. Fenriz and Nocturno Culto are hilarious in life. I have to say they are one of the most good humor bands in the black metal scene. Now on to the music. If you don't have the money to afford the imports of Burzum I say get this album instead. It has the same atmosphere as a Burzum album. It's just buzzing guitars with this so cold atmosphere. Very minimal but that's what I like it gives it a dark feeling. The guitars do get technical at times but not overly blazing like a death metal album which Fenriz explains in the interviews on the disc they were trying to move away from. The vocals are awesome. I love the echos with the raspy vocals. If you ever checked out Emperor's Wrath of the Tyrant (Enslaved split included) think more on that style. Varg does the same in Burzum (it's the same atmosphere especialy on Aske though Filosofem goes experimental ambient). This music brings to my mind a frosty forest.

Minimilism, nihilism, atmosphere...for the most part this is what drives black metal, not exactly the musicianship. There are two BASIC kinds of black metal now; the progrssive (new Enslaved)and the old-school form of raw and primitive. I like both. But I don't recomend Darkthrone, for those who are unaware of their status, to purchase this for some crazy musical epiphony. At least not for musicianship. Chances are, you can play this music. It's not hard, it's not technical, it's not jaw-dropping. If it was, then this album would suck. It would be ruined. Atmosphere and feeling is what drives Darkthrone, not virtuosity. This review basically covers all ground on Darktrhone (Soulside was death metal though, on a side note). I chose Under A Funeral Moon, because I believe it's their best work, spanning their entire discography. Enjoy the drab minimilism. And then go put on some Crypotpsy or Hate Eternal for TECH!!

i REALLY recommend that you buy this cd. favourite track has to be To Walk The Infernal Fields. If you want to listen to the definition of black metal, this is it. more atmospheric than melodic, the sound quality is rough, yet fits perfectly. sounds like its shredding your ear drums apart :) its all great.

First here..this new DIGI press is great! it has a cool bonus video and the sound is REMASTERED!! meaning it is LOUDER than before!! would have been better with out the digi it self though! they dont look as good as a jewel case!

''UNDER A FUNERAL MOON''..this is maybe THE best BLACK METAL album ever..you can tell that they made this as they said ''110% BLACK METAL''

There are moment's on this when I just cant take it ..HATE and more HATE FILL MY SOUL!!! even a song about a satanic witch! I love the lyric's on this ablum..prob some of the best ever in BLACK METAL!!!

This just grab's you by the nad's and forces you to listen!!! PERFECTION!!!! VERY ERIE!!!!!

Probaly the best PURE BLACK METAL album ever!!!!! BUY IT OR DIE A POSER!!!!!

''WITH MY ART I AM THE FIST..IN THE FACE OF GOD''

For all the attention that Transylvanian Hunger gets this is by far the better of the two releases. I dont even know how T.H. can be talked about higher than Under a Funeral Moon. If you like grim/dark/raw black metal then this is for you. NO WEAK SONGS ON THIS ONE.