The Funeral Pyre The Nature of Betrayal
Prosthetic Records March 20, 2007
By Wayward_Son
Does metal need bands like The Funeral Pyre?
On the one hand, metal as a whole is lacking in originality and that only the originators are worth listening to. Sure, there will always be those bands attempting to find a certain niche and trying to push the boundaries just a little further. However, Faithful Reader, originality is not certain to guarantee quality music.
The Funeral Pyre hails from California, but have a distinct European sound. Combining the melodious sounds of Swedish death metal with symphonic black metal styled keyboards, The Nature of Betrayal may pull from different sources, but it manages to sound somewhat fresh, though familiar. Despite the European similarities, The Funeral Pyre does sound American, if that makes sense. There is a certain machismo to their music, be it a certain thrash accent or a sonic punch that encapsulates their influences. Where The Funeral Pyre will draw the most comparisons to black metal are the gravelly-throated bellows of their front man.
Now, on the other hand, it can be argued that clone bands, or tier two bands, are needed to ensure a sound does not die in time. These bands are sometimes seen as improving upon a formula not yet perfected, but can also be viewed as saturating a sound.
While not improving upon any sound here, The Funeral Pyre nevertheless are able to hold their own in a crowded room. They did not revolutionize anything with The Nature of Betrayal. Face it, Faithful Reader, all they did was place keyboards within a melodic Swedish death metal album. It worked, though.
This writer enjoys The Nature of Betrayal, and can appreciate where it comes from. Sometimes one just needs to be reminded of the past while not entirely taking a vacation there. The originators are the vacation. The pictures that remind you of the good times are bands like The Funeral Pyre.
In answer to the original question, the answer lies with you.
Official The Funeral Pyre Website
Official Prosthetic Records Website
Prosthetic Records March 20, 2007
By Wayward_Son
Does metal need bands like The Funeral Pyre?
On the one hand, metal as a whole is lacking in originality and that only the originators are worth listening to. Sure, there will always be those bands attempting to find a certain niche and trying to push the boundaries just a little further. However, Faithful Reader, originality is not certain to guarantee quality music.
The Funeral Pyre hails from California, but have a distinct European sound. Combining the melodious sounds of Swedish death metal with symphonic black metal styled keyboards, The Nature of Betrayal may pull from different sources, but it manages to sound somewhat fresh, though familiar. Despite the European similarities, The Funeral Pyre does sound American, if that makes sense. There is a certain machismo to their music, be it a certain thrash accent or a sonic punch that encapsulates their influences. Where The Funeral Pyre will draw the most comparisons to black metal are the gravelly-throated bellows of their front man.
Now, on the other hand, it can be argued that clone bands, or tier two bands, are needed to ensure a sound does not die in time. These bands are sometimes seen as improving upon a formula not yet perfected, but can also be viewed as saturating a sound.
While not improving upon any sound here, The Funeral Pyre nevertheless are able to hold their own in a crowded room. They did not revolutionize anything with The Nature of Betrayal. Face it, Faithful Reader, all they did was place keyboards within a melodic Swedish death metal album. It worked, though.
This writer enjoys The Nature of Betrayal, and can appreciate where it comes from. Sometimes one just needs to be reminded of the past while not entirely taking a vacation there. The originators are the vacation. The pictures that remind you of the good times are bands like The Funeral Pyre.
In answer to the original question, the answer lies with you.
Official The Funeral Pyre Website
Official Prosthetic Records Website
