Band:	Dark Funeral
Album:	Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	November 18, 2009
Guest review by:	Slayer666

Disc I
01. The End Of Human Race
02. The Birth Of The Vampiir
03. Stigmata
04. My Funeral
05. Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus
06. Demons Of Five
07. Declaration Of Hate
08. In My Dreams
09. My Latex Queen
+ My Funeral [video]

Disc II [DVD] [limited edition bonus] [live at Peace & Love festival on June 28, 2008 in Borlänge, Sweden]
01. Intro
02. King Antichrist
03. Diabolis Interium
04. The Secrets Of The Black Arts
05. The Arrival Of Satan's Empire
06. Goddess Of Sodomy
07. 666 Voices Inside
08. Vobiscum Satanas
09. Hail Murder
10. Atrum Regina
11. An Apprentice Of Satan

There is a short anecdote, which may or may not be true, concerning the release of Slayer's newest album, World Painted Blood. When Tom Araya was asked what the new album sounds like, he gave a short, simple, yet very informative reply: "It's Slayer. What on Earth do you think it sounds like?" I can safely say that if Bo Karlsonn of Dark Funeralwas ever asked such a question about "Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus," he could have easily replied in the same fashion. Before I start describing the album, I must write a short disclaimer. Veteran fans of Dark Funeral, you don't need to read any further: go and buy this album. Veteran haters of Dark Funeral, you should also stop reading, but stay away from the album instead of buying it. Now that I've got that out the way, I will try and review this album in a way that assumes the reader has never heard Dark Funeral before.

Although it was never stated officially, for all these years they had a credo they never deviated from, and it's: "Never change!" Every one of their albums could be described as a furiously fast, chaotic blast-beat fest centered around a heavily Satanic concept. In short, these guys play black metal which is pretty much as stereotypical as it can possibly be. One good look at the album cover can tell you almost everything you need to know about the atmosphere of the music. Hellish, fiery, apocalyptic and full of rage. Brace yourselves for a merciless, bombastic black metal charge, as you will be bombarded by relentless, yet stylish riffs, savage drums and Caligula's sick screaming.

Not quite all of it is blast-beats, mind you.... In some songs they occasionally break the furious assault, and switch to mid-paced drumming and more expressed tremolo picking that really raises the whole "the world is ending in demonic fire" feeling to a new level. "In My Dreams" and "My Funeral" are almost completely based on this approach rather than non stop blast-beats. The drummer, Dominator, is a goddamned beast, giving us one of the finest performances in this genre, both in the "fast as fuck" and technical categories. Bo and Micke do a perfect job of grinding those guitars, and Caligula's vocals are still on the level, even if not what they used to be. So far, I've focused only on the positive sides of the album, and it's only fair to point out its flaws now. if you're looking for anything even moderately original, look elsewhere. Dark Funeral is not that sort of a band. Also, the album might feel repetitive sometimes, and you often won't be able to tell a difference between two songs, unless you've got trained ears.

This album is certainly not for everyone. While many praise it for being so furious and stylish, others will look down upon it, calling it cliche and immature. All facts taken into consideration, the second group is pretty much right. However, for me there always comes a time when I need to listen to something that is not too complex, but is powerful and (although childishly) blasphemous. Very few bands provide a better solution for this than Dark Funeral.