CoC : Funerarium - Nocthule : Review

Funerarium - _Nocthule_
(Undercover Records, 2008)
by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10)

Those albums that prove to be the hardest to review are those that provide an adequate performance but do little to nothing to otherwise separate themselves from others pursuing a similar course. This is such an album, as the duo of Necroshadow and De Rais pursue straightforward black metal, with nary a surprising twist or turn. It gains an extra point for its brooding atmosphere, akin to a cross between _De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas_ (Mayhem) and _Under a Funeral Moon_ (Darkthrone), but black metal fans will already have a hundred just like this is their collections. To be fair, _Nocthule_ is likely to better than many in said collection, and it does not attempt to overcome its shortcomings by burying them under dense layers of synths or upping the rawness to tinnitus-inducing levels. It's the kind of album I could return to in the future, but with so many similar sounding albums, I can't give any guarantees.

Contact: http://www.funeralium.lu

(article published 13/12/2008)