BravePicks 2016 - DARK FUNERAL's Where Shadows Forever Reign #15
December 17, 2016, 7 years ago
Another gruelling year of heavy metal mastery is almost over! And all the votes are in and the compiling is complete! It's time to celebrate the winners and call out the not-so winners! So who will be our #1? You’ll find out as we count down the BravePick Of 2016 throughout December! And once again our devout scribes put their collective metal minds together to build the ultimate lists including individual Top 20s (new studio albums ONLY), Top 5 Brave Embarrassments, Top 3 Concerts, What/Who Needs To Stop In 2017? and Metal Predictions For 2017. All will be showcased come the New Year!
'Tis the season to commence the good, bad and ugly of 2016! Let’s rock!
BravePicks 2016
15) DARK FUNERAL - Where Shadows Forever Reign (Century Media)
Returning from a long absence is never an easy thing, but Dark Funeral proved it doesn’t necessarily have to be difficult either. Where Shadows Forever Reign is the Swedes first album in 7 years and is filled with primal black metal fueled by mainman Lord Ahriman and receiving a shot to the arm with new vocalist Heljarmadr. The dark, atmospheric cover is enough to draw listeners to the cold world Dark Funeral inhabits. Blasting riffs, symphonic accents, and themes springing with blasphemy is enough blacken a metallers heart.
Lord Ahriman said about the album:
"Wow, did 6 years pass already? Time surely flies fast! But you know what, we're back! Dark Funeral is back! And in true Dark Funeral spirit, like so many times in the past, we continue to push all boundaries musically and bring black metal into a new, fresh and dark dimension. This is by far our most professional, technical, dynamic and epic album thus far. And compared to previous albums, each new song offers a unique spirit and identity that is more profound than ever. And whether you like extreme black metal or not, I'm sure every fan of metal will find songs on this album that they can enjoy to its fullest!
Scribe Jason Deaville trumpeted the horns for Where Shadows Forever Reign giving a score of 9.5/10 writing:
“Quite honestly, this is black metal perfection. Dark Funeral has - out of nowhere - upped the fucking ante on this sub-genre... nothing even comes close to touching the exquisite fusion of 90s-era melody and extremity found on this album. It is a staggeringly awesome listen from start to finish. The war has been waged with Where Shadows Forever Reign, and victory over the false - the pretenders to the throne - is within our grasp. Long live True Scandinavian black metal.”
Read more of the review here.
BravePicks 2016 Top 31
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15) DARK FUNERAL - Where Shadows Forever Reign (Century Media)
16) ASPHYX - Incoming Death (Century Media)
17) GOJIRA - Magma (Roadrunner)
18) THE DEAD DAISIES - Make Some Noise (SPV / Spitfire)
19) INSAHN - Arktis. (Candlelight)
20) NAILS - You Will Never Be One Of Us (Nuclear Blast)
21) CROWBAR - The Serpent Only Lies (eOne)
22) BORKNAGAR - Winter Thrice (Century Media)
23)ENTOMBED A.D. - Dead Dawn (Century Media)
24) TREMONTI - Dust (Fret 12)
25) OPETH - Sorceress (Moderbolaget/Nuclear Blast)
26) HAMMERFALL - Built To Last (Napalm)
27) EPICA - The Holographic Principle (Nuclear Blast)
28) DARK TRANQUILLITY - Atoma (Century Media)
29) SUMERLANDS - S/T (Relapse)
30) RUNNING WILD – Rapid Foray (SPV)
31) AVANTASIA – Ghostlights (Nuclear Blast)
