FUNEREAL PRESENCE "Achatius"



FUNEREAL PRESENCE

"Achatius"

One man band Funereal Presence gives us another reminder that it's often the most off the wall and batshit crazy bands that are the most entertaining. The thing I will remember most about this oddball outsider unit is their use of bells...the clear, glorious tones of tubular bells and the earthy clank of the almighty cowbell. Over the course of these four epic and mind-dizzying tunes, you will hear both used to brilliant effect.

The use of those bells stands out but really Funereal Presence deliver crazed, high-speed metal that is not quite like anything else out there. Each of these four tunes exceeds ten minutes in length and for the most part, they keep your attention, which is a feat unto itself. While listening to "Achatius", I was often reminded of Absu. The breakneck speed, wild riffing and vaguely majestic feel are similar but FP kick it up a notch to a level beyond Absu. The power of the riff is preeminent yet those riffs vary quite a bit...some are right out of the traditional black metal playbook but others are like Maiden or early Fates Warning on hyperdrive. Things occasionally slow to a grinding mid-pace but not often. Stinging guitar solos can emerge from any angle at any time. And then there are those fantastic breaks where the tubular bells show up. The bells are integrated perfectly into the heavy riffing and give a really special aura to the album.

The guy behind this has the somewhat dodgy name of Bestial Devotion but I must give Mr. Devotion his due...this sounds like a real band played on it. The production is raw and earthy with no digital trickery. Further adding to the weirdness of the release, each of the four song titles is a long winded and medieval construction, like "Wherein Achatius Is Awakened and Called Upon" and "Wherein Seven Celestial Beasts Are Revealed To Him". It all seems to relate to the adventures of "Achatius", who may just be a demon from Hell. I'd love to check out the lyrics in more depth.

Once in a while, it gets a little long-winded but not too often. This is something truly different yet still drawing upon classical metal sources. I hope we hear more from Funereal Presence and their bells in the years to come.

AJNA OFFENSIVE

FUNEREAL PRESENCE

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