Originally written by Jeremy Garner
After two years and a relocation to La Habra, California we now have The Funeral Pyre’s follow up to Immersed by the Flames of Mankind. That might not mean much to a whole lot of you who aren’t already fans or who happened to miss our review of said album, but I assure you this is a band that is well worth a listen in what otherwise has become possibly the most oversaturated and plagarized genre of extreme music.
As before, the definitive skill that separates The Funeral Pyre from the pack is their equitable attention to both melody and ferocity when it comes to death metal. Rather than let one prevailing influence rule their sound, the band meshes their influences and styles into a unified, and frighteningly focused attack. While offhandedly they might still remind a great deal of people of a more mature and refined version of The Black Dahlia Murder, there’s plenty more going on behind the scenes here than pure At the Gates worship or simply cookie cutter American melodic death.
While usually atmosphere is an aspect completely devoid in death metal, there’s enough attention and passion interjected in the harmonies on The Nature of Betrayal to actually convey a distinct mood. They’ve managed to create a rather personal and poignant view of melodic death metal that leaves the listener in state of constant bereavement rather than pure anticipated boredom. The melancholy of “200 years” with its somber opening is an amazingly powerful counterpart to the intensity of songs like the stiflingly morose “Here the Sun Never Shines” or the caustic “Plague that Leads to Extinction” create a truly dynamic and well written listening experience. At every turn there is plenty of competent songwriting that harbors little to no filler whatsoever.
The only break from an onslaught of tight and detailed musicianship comes from keyboardist Danniella who employs a backdrop of ethereal keyboards creating a beautiful backdrop to John’s tortured dual vocals along with what is otherwise a vicious display of modern melodic death metal. Jimmy and Niks’ thoughtfully placed guitar lines blend in and out of one another creating just the right amount of tension and dynamics to set The Funeral Pyre apart from the pack as a group of musicians who truly get the art of extreme music. They may not be the most technical band on the market, but I’ve always been of the persuasion that the subtelty of the game is knowing the right thing to play and when; apparantly this point has been dually noted.
The added bonus is that with all the current surges of half rate new American metal and run of the mill NWSDM there’s still at least one band who can move in the modern direction of things pulling inspiration from the likes of At the Gates and Dissection, yet keep the material vibrant and emotional while the rest of the pack tends to stagnate and fade away. The Nature of Betrayal is more than just an adequate followup as it showcases a band who has matured and continued to press their art forward rather than resting on their laurels. Out of all the underpublicized bands you’d probably never get the chance to hear about other than these pages, The Funeral Pyre remain to be one of the most rewarding prospects.
