DARK FUNERAL

Over thirty years after forming, Dark Funeral have firmly secured their place on metal’s Olympus. The Swedish Black Metal titans are renowned for brutal, uncompromising shows and seven merciless studio albums that have carved a path around the globe. Their live release A Beast to Praise captures one of those defining moments. Recorded on April 16, 2022, the album documents a reunion show in which band and audience fused into a single, volcanic force.

Lord Ahriman himself calls A Beast to Praise a crucial milestone, describing the performance as “intense in every possible way.” He points to the venue’s atmosphere and the crowd’s devotion as key elements that elevated the evening well beyond an ordinary concert—and you can hear that elevation throughout this 13-track testament. Dark Funeral were generous in broadcasting the night for fans who could not attend due to ongoing travel restrictions, turning a single gig into a shared ritual.

The record’s 69 minutes are raw, concentrated, and unrelenting. Opener “Unchain My Soul” rips the gates of doom wide open, while “We Are the Apocalypse” and “Secrets of the Black Arts” unleash blistering guitar fire, driven by pummelling drums and Heljarmadr’s unmistakable, venomous vocals. Between salvoes of pure aggression, there are moments of tight interplay and call-and-response with the crowd that keep the energy taut and alive—short, razor-sharp exchanges that prove the band still thrive on the electricity of live fury.

Even with a new studio album out and a European tour slated for fall 2026, Dark Funeral are already looking forward. Lord Ahriman hints that new material is a priority, promising more to come next year. For now, A Beast to Praise stands as a potent document: a live manifesto that will smash longtime devotees and newcomers alike with the relentless, ritualistic power that defines Black Metal at its fiercest.

Thank you, Dark Funeral—this is one hell of a night captured for the ages.