Oratorium
Artist | Funeral |
Title | Oratorium |
Release Date | Friday, November 23, 2012 |
Genre | Rock > Metal > Doom Metal |
Copyright | © Grau |
Country | GERMANY |
Promotion Text
The inventors of Funeral Doom Metal return with their most impressive album!
Funeral was formed in 1991 out of the ashes of another band by drummer (then guitarist) Anders Eek and guitarist Thomas Angell. Several line-up changes followed. Early `93 bassist Einar Fredriksen was recruited from his thrash-metal band Anti-Chord, and Funeral recorded it`s first demo "Tristesse" later that year, featuring: Anders Eek - drums/vocals/guitars, Thomas Angell - guitars and Einar Fredriksen - bass/vocals. Shortly after this recording 2nd guitarist Christian Loos joined. Wild Rags Records released the demo in `94 as a MCD. Early `94 singer Toril Snyen joined, and the demo "Beyond All Sunsets" was recorded. This got the attention from amongst others the Norwegian label Arctic Serenades, which led to the release of the album "Tragedies" in 1995. These releases gave birth to the underground doom-metal term: funeral-doom. In 1996 Funeral went to the famous Academy Studios in England, and recorded 10 instrumental tracks. By now singer Snyen was out of the band, and Funeral was without a singer until 1997 when Sara Eick was recruited. "Demo 97" (also referred to as "To Mourn Is A Virtue") was released. This included 5 of the 10 academy tracks. Later in `97 Sara Eick decided to quit, and the band recruited singer Hanne Hukkelberg the following year. In 1999 Funeral recorded "Demo 99" (also referred to as "The Passion Play). This featured 6 tracks, and led Funeral to the release of the album "In Fields Of Pestilent Grief" in 2001, through Nocturnal Music. By now guitarist Thomas Angell quit due to musical differences, and Idar Burheim (now in 1349, known as Archaon) replaced him. The band also found a permanent keyboardist in Kjetil Ottersen. I. Burheim later quit to concentrate fully on 1349. In january 2003 utter tragedy befell upon the band, as bassist/singer and songwriter Einar Fredriksen died. This led the band to a near disbandment, and Funeral laid dormant for a year and a half. Yet another line-up change was a fact, now consisting of: Anders Eek – drums, Frode Forsmo – vocals, Christian Loos – guitars, Kjetil Ottersen – guitars and Jon Borgerud - keyboards (session member). In 2004 four of the ten Academy-tracks (originally recorded in 1997) were partly re-written, and was Frode Forsmo`s first work as Funeral singer. This was intended as a new demo, but ended up not being released, as totally new material was written. In 2005 saw the band recording a new 9-track album. In april 2006 the Finnish label Firedoom Records released the long anticipated and sought after re-release of “Tragedies and Tristesse” as a 2-cd (remastered), with unreleased bonus-tracks, taken from the Beyond all sunsets-session and the Tragedies-session from 94/95. Included on the re-release there are unpublished pictures and poems, as well as new cover art. Autumn 2006 sees Funeral sign with the Norwegian label Tabu Recordings. October 28th 2006, tragedy again struck, as guitarist Christian Loos passed away. To yet again fullfill the line-up, Mats Lerberg was recruited. The album "From these wounds" was released December 4th. 2006. 2007 sees Kjetil Ottersen depart, later replaced by Erlend Nybø. September 22. 2008 Funeral released the album "As the light does the shadow". The band started writing their next album, and in 2010, vocalist Frode Forsmo decides to leave the band due to personal reasons. Funeral is yet again without a singer, and now also without a bassist. It didn't take long before they Sindre Nedland, and the band continued working on the new album. Rune Gandrud was later given the bass duties. Simultaneously, Funeral had worked on another album called “To mourn is a virtue”, a collection of old songs with different vocalists, and new orchestration. The album was released on May 24. 2011. The same year, Funeral announce that they've signed with the german label Grau Records, and their new album entitled “Oratorium”, will be released in 2012. www.funeralband.no