The Funeral Pyre - The Nature Of Betrayal

The Funeral Pyre
The Nature Of Betrayal
Creator Destructor Records
8/10




This Californian six-piece rips through a set of hyper-pissed melodic death metal on “The Nature Of Betrayal” that’s very, very much like older Dark Tranquillity.

Furious rhythmic sequences are tied in with blood-letting, razor-wire riffing as John, the band’s vocalist screams until his larynx resembles that shredded beef jerky that’s found in a little can like chewing tobacco. “Here The Sun Never Shines” possesses an almost black metal ambience, its supersonic blasting flurries unrelenting in their unmerciful assault. The Funeral Pyre is dead set on inflicting maximum damage, and their follow-through is very admirable. Blast after blast pummels the listener into a tenderized pulp and The Funeral Pyre keeps coming back with even more aural damage.

Of course, there’s plenty of melody tucked deeply inside this sonic chaos, especially in the guitars, but keyboard accompaniments give the entire shebang an imperial aura. Impressive presentation helps this record along. While the layout is not extravagant, the CD booklet gives you a pretty good idea of what these guys are going for from a purely artistic standpoint. Why does it matter? Because you want the most for your hard-earned dollar, that’s why.

At this point, this sort of music definitely has its audience, which will certainly flock in droves to such a release. Don’t expect anything that’s necessarily original here, but this band is absolutely crushing in what they do.

ERIN FOX © 2007 – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED