Band:	Dark Funeral
Album:	We Are The Apocalypse
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	March 2022

01. Nightfall
02. Let The Devil In
03. When Our Vengeance Is Done
04. Nosferatu
05. When I’m Gone
06. Beyond The Grave
07. A Beast To Praise
08. Leviathan
09. We Are The Apocalypse

He’s not the apocalypse, he’s a very naughty boy.

While not the kings of Swedish black metal (that title would go to Bathory), Dark Funeral have been at the forefront of the genre for much of their existence, producing some of the most pivotal work in the genre along the way. 2022 marks the band’s seventh full-length album, We Are The Apocalypse, and one that ensures the band’s position in the genre is further cemented.

While walking the left hand path, the band also tread on the path less travelled, quite literally given We Are The Apocalypse comes six years after 2016’s Where Shadows Forever Reign, which itself came seven years after its own predecessor. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, which in this case means that any new album is highly anticipated for fans of the band; thankfully, Dark Funeral live up to the hype and We Are The Apocalypse is an album worth the wait (though, I wouldn’t mind having a shorter gap for any future record).

“When Our Vengeance Is Done” and “When I’m Gone” punctuate playthroughs, with the latter providing a nice light-dark dynamic with the following track “Beyond The Grave”. “When I’m Gone” will likely catch the ear of listeners; remaining dark in tone, it colours a sombre and mournful tone that will stick with you for the rest of the album. The former track, “When Our Vengeance Is Done”, is a solid unrelenting dose of black metal; while it may lack a sense of adventure, it focuses on delivering on quality instead.

The studio debut of “new” (having been in the band four years at this point) drummer Jalomaah (or Janne Jaloma to you and me), delivers some ruthless high-energy playing throughout, yet he is able to do so without adding flourishes here and there, such as on “Let The Devil In”. Alongside Lord Ahriman and Chaq Mol, the trio make for a formidable force; “Leviathan” features some strong guitar lines and interludes, combining the previous light-dark dynamic within one track. “We Are The Apocalypse” just throws down all pretenses and goes for the jugular, aiming the chainsaw guitarwork squarely into the listeners' ears. Heljarmadr repeats his strong performance on Where Shadows Forever Reign, adding another powerful dimension to the band.

The only two moments where the album stumbles are on the opening “Nightfall” and “Nosferatu”, the latter with the band seeming to be on autopilot; it is probably the one track on the record I skip over. While it merits occasional listens, I find myself not missing out if I skip over it. The former “Nightfall” is too predictable and straightforward in comparison with the songs that follow; while it is still enjoyable, it isn't up to the same level as the rest of the songs that make up the album.

We Are The Apocalypse is an early year highlight; it meets and exceeds the expectations I had of it, a follow-up record that stands toe to toe with its predecessor, Where Shadows Forever Reign. Worth seeking out if you are a casual fan of the genre.