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FUNEREUS
Return Of The Old Goat

Forever Plagued (2014)
Rating: 8/10

The Forever Plagued label has put out some fantastic extreme releases over the years, namely albums from the likes of Graveland, Krieg and Nightbringer. Mexican duo Funereus are the latest clan to be snapped up, and Return Of The Old Goat is their sophomore effort, following on from 2010’s Profane Rite Of Morbid Glorification which appeared under the Maleficium Records roster.

Return Of The Old Goat comes complete with child-like artwork, but this seems to add to the primitive charm of this seven-track affair which begins with an unholy racket entitled ‘Unhallowed Tomb’. Forget atmospheric introductions, Funereus come out spitting, flailing, slicing, dicing and blasphemous from the off.

I’m particularly impressed by the gritty, scratchy vocals and an underlying melody which gives the lo-fi sound an almost punky quality. It’s still a record that does exactly what it says on the black metal tin – horrible, scornful speed and a general sense of holy mocking – but this is really entertaining and quite frightful in its torment. One cannot argue with that catchy riff. While I love black metal to be really underground and raw in its production, Funereus manage to combine a slicker guitar sound but still sport an air of atrocity and grotesque primal rage in that aura.

‘Prelude’ is a strange 20-second or so interlude of midnight growls which would have seemed better suited to start the album, but as it leads into the brilliantly hostile rage of ‘Funeral Ghoul’ I cannot forget this nut-job group.

Return Of The Old Goat is the sort of grisly, nascent black metal that has everything going for it, and when such a framework of sound boasts such a hideous vocal scratch, then you’re onto a winner. Although tremendously fast, there are some superb licks running through this creature like some vein pumped with black blood. The monstrous title track is a prime example of how ghoulish, ancient black metal should be played. It’s right from the early-to-mid 90s made all the more stingingly epic by the massive sounds of ‘Below The Horns Of Blasphemy’ and the poisonous mayhem mantra of ‘Ascending The Throne Of Satan’.

In fact, I cannot hail Funereus enough for its propensity to slit the throat of its victims with such vicious aplomb, but by the time it’s over I’m straight down the local pharmacy looking for the best packet of throat lozenges money can buy. A nastily vitriolic outing if ever there was one.

Neil Arnold

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