Feral – Flesh for Funerals Eternal (Transcending Obscurity)
Sunday, 30th December 2018
Hard to believe it’s already been 3 years since Feral’s last full-length effort, Where Dead Dreams Dwell. Said album was a real bone-crusher in all senses, having nary a second for the listener to catch their breath as the band lived up to their namesake as they plowed through each track with brutal savagery. Flesh for Funerals Eternal gives fans exactly what they crave, though it’s worth noting that evolution in this genre isn’t something really expected.
If you enjoyed the last bout, expect to relish in fiendish delight over this one too. The carbon copy formula of Entombed/Dismember worship is here and at the same high level of energy one would expect. It is impressive at how fresh Feral can make the material – each track is undeniably catchy and will not take long until you are moving right along with it. Just the right combination of groove and ferocious speed in that sense, along with just enough bite on the typical ‘bonesaw’ guitar tone without making it feel too over-the-top and obnoxious like some bands tend to aim for. Of course, you should walk into this fully expecting a lack of originality, even with this one tying directly into Where Dead Dreams Dwell. It’s simply another batch of Swedish sounding death metal, but there’s also no denying the quality and full-fledged effort that went into perfecting every little piece of it that they explore.
While Feral aren’t going to be re-writing the book on death metal here, Flesh for Funerals Eternal has no shortage of fun and exciting riffs. Perhaps that is the testament to how strong the band’s writing is – despite the fact that everyone and their brother are out to ape the Stockholm sound, Feral are one of few to consistently get it accurate and entertainingly so.
