Free online radio at AOL Radio offers over 350 Internet radio stations with song skipping and includes music, news, sports and talk.

Dark Funeral

Band formed in 1993

Dark Funeral's Genre:

Scandinavian Metal, Black Metal, Heavy Metal

Biography

Formed at a time when the Scandinavian metal scene was becoming flooded with bands, all striving for "true" rather than "trend" status amongst fans and peers, Sweden's Dark Funeral emerged as one of the most exciting groups in the genre. Like most artists in the early black metal scene, Dark Funeral's music was raw and powerful with a strong lyrical emphasis on Satanic imagery and anti-Christian themes. When many of their peers were starting to rely on the use of keyboards to distinguish their "evil" sound, Dark Funeral stuck to the roots of metal, avoiding synthesizers.

In 1993, guitarists Lord Ahriman and Blackmoon recruited fellow Swedes Themgoroth (bass) and Draugen (drums) to form the first incarnation of Dark Funeral. Together they recorded an EP simply entitled Dark Funeral, which established them as a one of the leading black metal bands of the time. No Fashion Records signed the band in 1994 and after replacing Draugen with drummer Equimanthorn -- like most black metalers he too lacked a last name -- they went into the infamous Abyss studios to start work on their next project. It wasn't until 1996 that their second release, Secrets of the Black Arts, reached their fans. 1996 was a big year for Dark Funeral. Secrets turned out to be a major seller by black metal standards, but the band suffered a major lineup change that would leave Ahriman as the only original member. So with Lord Ahriman and his new band -- Emperor Magus Caligula (bass/vocals), Alzazmon (drums), and Typhos (guitar) -- they embarked on a European tour, their first as a headlining act. Their stage act became quite a performance. They would emerge covered in blood and corpse paint while wearing long spikes and rivets and carrying ancient weapons. The shows also included a fire-breathing Emperor Caligula and pigs' heads impaled upon upside-down crosses -- kind of a low-budget Kiss concert. In 1998, No Fashion released their second full-length album, Vobiscum Satanas. The band then brought their stage show to the U.S. for the first of two tours, supported by Metal Blade records, who released Secrets of the Black Arts and Vobiscum Satanas domestically. By 2000 the band saw more changes in the lineup, with Dominion taking a vacant guitar spot and the position of drummer becoming a rotating door. The EP Teach Your Children to Worship Satan was released just before the band was signed to Necropolis Records. In 2000, Caligula and Dominion also released an album by their side project band, Dominion Caligula, for No Fashion Records. ~ Kevin Odle

AOL Radio Stations Dark Funeral is Featured on (1)

Dark Funeral

This station plays the best music from and music from related artists like Emperor, Darkthrone, Immortal, Gorgoroth, Mayhem, Satyricon, Marduk, Dimmu Borgir, Burzum, Bathory and more.

All Stations

Dark Funeral's Selected Discography (16)

Devil Pigs

2009 Karmageddon Media200414 Songs

Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus/Live at P&L

200921 Songs

Vobiscum Satanas [Bonus Tracks]

200712 Songs

Diabolis Interium [Bonus CD]

200713 Songs

The Secrets of the Black Arts Album Cover

Artists Related to Dark Funeral (50)

	Emperor	When attention first focused on Norway's almost cartoonishly violent black metal scene in the mid-'90s, Mayhem were dubbed its godfathers, but most of the critical accolades were bestowed upon Emperor, whose musical innovations have had more impact on the genre than any other band.
	Darkthrone	Of all the major second wave black metal bands to emerge from Norway's fertile breeding grounds during the early 1990s, only a handful -- Mayhem, Emperor, Enslaved, Ulver -- have achieved the same exalted status and world-wide recognition as the legendary Darkthrone; and arguably none has been as consistent or prolific in the decades that followed.
	Immortal	Of all the Norwegian black metal bands, Immortal has, arguably, stuck the closest to the mystical, occult-inspired vision of the scene: the bandmembers kept the evil-Kiss makeup throughout the band's existence, rarely experimented outside of the traditional guitars-drums-bass instrumental configuration, and never revealed their real names.
	Gorgoroth	Guitarists Infernus and Tormentor are the center of the Norwegian black metal outfit Gorgoroth, which took its name from the work of J.
	Mayhem	Formed around 1985 by Necrobutcher and guitarist Euronymous (born Oystein Aarseth), Mayhem was the first black metal band from Norway to make a serious impact in their homeland, which in the early '90s developed a burgeoning underground scene rife with violent, sometimes anti-Christian activity, as evidenced by Mayhem's non-musical history.
	Satyricon	Norwegian black metal trio Satyricon are led by Satyr, also featuring drummer Frost and keyboardist Kine.
	Marduk	An unswerving commitment to blasphemy and extremity combined with a relentless touring schedule and a steady stream of recordings has helped establish Sweden's Marduk as one of the better-known bands on the Scandinavian black metal scene.
	Dimmu Borgir	Blending black metal's most brutal tendencies, the melancholic beauty of opera, and industrial metal's production techniques, Dimmu Borgir carved a niche in the metal world as one of the most savage and creative acts to hail from the Norwegian scene.
	Burzum	Burzum is the one-man project of Varg Vikernes (born Christian Vikernes, aka Count Grishnackh), perhaps the most notorious figure in Norwegian black metal.
	Bathory	In a musical realm where scale of influence has little to do with commercial success, few originators of the extreme metal arts evoke as deep a sense of mystery, or incite such hushed, reverential tones of admiration, as Sweden's Bathory.
	Old Man's Child	Born in Oslo, Norway under the supervision of guitarist/singer Thomas "Grusom" Rune and fellow ax-man Jardar, the two wanted to create a project that was filled with the bleak lyrical content of modern day black metal and an influence of early death metal.
	Enslaved	Norwegian black metal band Enslaved were formed in 1991 by guitarist/keyboardist Ivar Bjørnson and bassist Grutle Kjellson; a demo titled Yggdrstll followed a year later.
	1349	Until they began taking chances with their sound later on in their career, 1349 were a traditional Norwegian black metal band -- both musically and visually -- that took their name from the year in which the black death arrived on Scandinavian shores…need we say more? Well, if you must know, the band originated in the city of Oslo, in 1997, born of the ashes of an earlier group named Alvheim featuring vocalist and drummer Olav "Ravn" Bergene, guitarist André "Tjalve" Kvebek, and bassist Tor Risdal "Seidemann" Stavenes.
	Dissection	Gothenburg, Sweden-based death metal outfit Dissection were formed in 1989 by singer/guitarist Jon Nödtveidt and bassist Peter Palmdahl; with the addition of drummer Ole Öhman the following spring, the group recorded its first demo, The Grief Prophecy.
	Borknagar	A combination side project and supergroup of the Norwegian black metal scene, Borknagar members Oystein G.
	Behemoth	Considered to be one of the leading death metal bands to emerge from Poland in the 1990s, Behemoth have endured quite a few lineup shifts during their career (especially in the bass department), with founding singer/guitarist Nergal being the only constant member.
	Amon Amarth	Swedish death metal band Amon Amarth originally formed in 1988 under the name Scum; by the time the new moniker was adopted four years later, the line-up consisted of vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Olli Mikkonen and Anders Hansson, bassist Ted Lundstrom and drummer Niko Kaukinen.
	Carpathian Forest	Emerging like ghoulish demons out of the depths of Norway's darkest woods (at least, that's how they would have dreamed it), Carpathian Forest centers around the fearsome duo of Nattefrost (vocals/guitar/bass) and Nordavind (guitar/bass), who first teamed up to compose their dark musical sorcery in the early '90s.
	Watain	Black metal outfit Watain emerged from Uppsala, Sweden, in 1998, quickly gaining underground credibility with an uncompromising 7" release entitled "The Essence of Black Purity," then solidifying their commitment to the dark metal arts via 2000s thematically shocking (i.
	Hypocrisy	The Swedish death metal band Hypocrisy was formed by Peter Tägtgren in 1990 upon his return to Sweden from Florida, where he had been inspired by that state's flourishing death metal scene (bands like Morbid Angel, Deicide, Death, and Obituary).
	Celtic Frost	Celtic Frost's impact on the evolution of European heavy metal cannot be overstated. Along with power metal kings Helloween (and to a lesser degree, the sometimes cartoonish Mercyful Fate), Frost's enduring influence on Europe's heavy metal landscape is arguably comparable to Metallica's standing in America.
	Morbid Angel	Groups like Venom, Mercyful Fate, and Slayer may have founded death metal in the early '80s, but it wasn't until such disciples as Morbid Angel came along at the close of the decade that the genre was pushed to its most extreme level, both musically and lyrically.
	Deicide	Controversy has plagued Florida-based quartet Deicide. During their first tour in 1992, the band was severely criticized for their statements in favor of animal sacrifices.
	Dark Tranquillity	Toward the end of the '90s, Scandinavian death metal -- or at least one branch of it -- began to evolve into a more accessible amalgamation of death metal intensity, a bit of progressive metal experimentation, and more traditional late-'70s/early-'80s British metal, with its catchy, groove-oriented riffs and twin-guitar lead lines.
	Death	Over the course of more than a decade and seven increasingly accomplished albums, Chuck Schuldiner, the architect behind the ubiquitous Death, became a bona fide heavy metal icon.
	At the Gates	One of the more melodic death metal bands to expand beyond Sweden and spread their sound across the world alongside peers such as Entombed, At the Gates played a significant role in the death metal genre before breaking up in 1996, leading to the formation of the Haunted.
	Cradle of Filth	British black metal band Cradle of Filth were formed in 1991, originally comprised of vocalist Dani Filth (born Daniel Lloyd Davey), guitarist Paul Ryan, his keyboardist brother Benjamin, bassist John Richard, and drummer Darren.
	Zyklon	An off-shoot of Norwegian black metal legends Emperor, Zyklon was founded by guitarist/bassist Zamoth (aka Samoth, as he is known in Emperor), who wanted to focus on the more modern and aggressive aspects of the latter band's style.
	Nile	Combining the extreme speed and nihilism of modern death metal with the ancient styling of Middle Eastern music, Nile formed in their hometown of Greenville, SC, in 1993.
	Naglfar	Originally named "Uninterred," Swedish black metal band Naglfar was started in 1992 by vocalist Jens Rydén and bassist Kristoffer Olivius, and has its roots in the era's convoluted post-thrash scene.
	Entombed	Scandinavian metal legends Entombed were at the forefront of the death metal uprising, releasing their influential debut, Left Hand Path, in 1990, just as the movement was beginning to proliferate internationally.
	Vader	Vader formed in 1986, toiling around the European death and thrash circuit while releasing demos into the metal tape-trading circuit.
	Arcturus	Culling its membership from various Norwegian black metal luminaries, Arcturus has been an evolving project for founding keyboardist Steiner "Sverd" Johnsen and drummer Hellhammer (also known as a member of Mayhem, one of the most infamous Norwegian black metal ensembles).
	Cannibal Corpse	"If vomit were a movie, this would be the soundtrack," wrote one critic of Cannibal Corpse's music, some of the most extreme, violent death metal sounds and subject matter ever committed to tape.
	Rotting Christ	Noticing the start of the crazed black metal scene in the Scandinavian region, the Tolis brothers, Sakis (vocals/guitar) and Themis (drums), wanted to begin their own spectacle in their hometown of Athens, Greece.
	Venom	A seminal influence on the evolution of thrash and black metal, Venom formed during the late '70s in Newcastle, England.
	Bloodbath	All-star Swedish death metal group Bloodbath was the side project of Opeth vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt, Katatonia guitarist Blackheim and bassist Jonas Renkse, and Edge of Sanity drummer Dan Swano.
	Immolation	The death metal band Immolation formed in New York in 1986; originally dubbed Rigor Mortis, the group first comprised singer/bassist Ross Dolan, guitarists Robert Vignaud and Thomas Wilkinson, and drummer Craig Smilowski.
	Goatwhore	Louisiana black metal outfit Goatwhore was formed by singer/guitarist Sammy Duet following the breakup of his previous band, Acid Bath.
	Dark Fortress	In Germany, there have been two different metal bands called Dark Fortress. One of them was an '80s-influenced power metal band that was formed in Riedstadt in 1998 and recorded an album titled Light and Darkness in 2000; after that band's breakup a few years later, three of its ex-members -- singer/bassist Torsten Thassilo Herbert and guitarists Thorsten Brand and Matthias Bludau-- went on to form the power metal band Dragonsfire in 2005.
	Opeth	Brought together in Stockholm by guitarists Peter Lindgren and Mikael Åkerfeldt in 1990, Opeth added progressive influences and acoustic instrumentation to their brand of Swedish death metal.
	Obituary	Possessed and Death may have brought death metal to life, but Obituary brought it to fruition. After releasing some demos as Xecutioner as far back as 1986, the five-man band debuted as Obituary on Roadrunner Records in 1989 with Slowly We Rot, and in a word, the album was landmark.
	Samael	Swiss extreme metal group Samael quickly evolved from a run-of-the-mill black metal band into one of the most daring and eclectic sonic explorers of their generation; eager to tamper with their sound by introducing industrial, electronic, and gothic music elements into their formative black and death metal foundations.
	Suffocation	Death metal band Suffocation was formed in New York in the early '90s, comprising vocalist Frank Mullen, guitarists Doug Cerrito and Terrance Hobbs, bassist Chris Richards, and drummer Mike Smith.
	Carcass	Often considered one of grindcore's founding fathers, Carcass were among the first bands of the extreme metal genre to try a different lyrical approach -- one that reflected a fascination with surgical gadgets and peculiar words straight out of a med student's textbook.
	Kataklysm	These Canadians started to rock in 1992 with the mission statement "deliver the most punishing music ever created by combining melody and power into one devastating force.
	Malevolent Creation	Arising from the death metal hotbed of Florida in the early '90s (but originally from Buffalo, NY), Malevolent Creation tend to be somewhat overlooked in discussions of groups who helped define the sound and style of American death metal.
	Dying Fetus	Though forever doomed, commercially speaking, by their controversial name, Maryland's Dying Fetus has endured beyond most observers' wildest expectations, and to do so, they've weathered a slew of hardships that would have felled (and did fell) most other bands.
	Vital Remains	Death metallists Vital Remains formed during 1989, and hail from Providence, Rhode Island - influenced by the likes of Venom, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Mercyful Fate, Sodom, and Destruction.
	Krisiun	Formed at the outset of the '90s, Brazilian death metal band Krisiun featured guitarist Moyses Kolesne, his brother Max Kolesne on drums, and bassist/vocalist Alex Camargo.