De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine: Live in South America 2003

by Alex HendersonDark Funeral's Lord Ahriman is the sort of Nordic death metal/black metal artist who is not apologetic about his band's limitations; rather, he flaunts them and takes great pride in them. Other Scandinavian headbangers have done their part to expand the horizons of death metal/black metal; In Flames, At the Gates, Shade Empire, and Twilight Ophera are among the Scandinavian bands that have presented a more melodic and intricate vision of the death metal/black metal field. But Ahriman and company have stuck to their guns, refusing to soften their blows and continuing to govern by brute force alone -- and while Dark Funeral can be quite predictable, they generally bring a lot of conviction to their work. A Dark Funeral concert doesn't offer much variety, but the Swedes certainly aren't dull or uninspired on-stage. And the brutal vitality of their live show is evident on De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine, which contains some of the highlights of a South American tour that included appearances in Brazil, Colombia, and Chile in 2003. Many of these performances sound alike, but then, Dark Funeral's hardcore fans aren't thinking about the lack of variety when they're in the mosh pit; they're getting caught up in the exhilaration of the whole experience -- and for those who still doubt that Ahriman and his occult-obsessed colleagues have one of the most exciting live shows in death metal/black metal, De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine will set them straight. An interesting linguistic note: the introductions to the songs are mostly in English -- you have Swedes performing for Latino headbangers in South America, and English becomes the linguistic common ground. The musical common ground, meanwhile, is a love of intense, menacing bombast -- and there is plenty of it on this sledgehammer of a live album.