Vehemency
Two rather new Finnish black metal acts team up on a split released last year. The connection between Blood Red Fog and Funerary Bell is evident since they consist of the same two members - the only difference is the role who does what: BRF is logically the main member behind Blood Red Fog and Profundiis behind Funerary Bell.
Blood Red Fog began its career in the depressive atmosphere of the self-titled full-length, but this split, among many other recent releases of theirs, is a clear example of their evolution to something more twisted and, well, interesting. The music is rough, old school and rather melodic, and BRF’s vocals (howling might be a more apt term) must be one of the most unique in the grounds of Finnish black metal. ”Hang Above the Soil” brings in a lot of riffs in its 7 minute playing time, from the Peste Noire -esque breakdown to the climatic, touching ending. ”Leave Only Ashes” continues in the same way, paling only minorly in the greatness of the former great track.
While Blood Red Fog can still be said to have the regular ’Finnish sound’, Funerary Bell brings something new to the table, so that I can’t even name any very evident influences - albeit "He Is Here" clearly meets with the common Finnish sound. Tight riffing somewhat similar to the previous band but with its own touch. ”Guardian of My Infernal Path” is a fantastic, vigorous track, followed by two slightly shorter tracks, but of same quality. The compositions themselves are rather simple but it’s easy to hear how there’s a lot of thought put into these sonorous riffs.
It’s hard to say anything necessarily bad about this split, as the bands clearly fit together, both musically (most likely recorded in the same sessions because I don’t think there’s any difference between the productions) and aesthetically. Lyrics for a couple of tracks are provided in the CD booklet which is always a great companion. Very recommended for those into the 2000s Finnish black metal.