Funeral Storm - Chthonic Invocations

Lucky dip - either BLACK OR BLUE/CLEAR GALAXY. - HELLS HEADBANGERS is proud to present FUNERAL STORM's highly anticipated second album, Chthonic Invocations. - It was but 2019 when FUNERAL STORM made their grand entrance onto the international metal stage with their acclaimed debut album, Arcane Mysteries, courtesy of HELLS HEADBANGERS. While their history goes back to 2001, activities didn't begin in earnest until 2012, and hard graft became their watchword. But it was Arcane Mysteries that majestically consolidated all of FUNERAL STORM's considerable promise into one grand statement of classic Greek black metal in an authentically early '90s style. It certainly didn't hurt that that debut album featured Varathron founder Necroabyssious on vocals. Two years came a split 7" with Greek comrades Synteleia, appropriately titled The Ancient Calling, also courtesy of HELLS HEADBANGERS. - That split featured a scaled-back lineup of Necroabyssious and guitarist Arcania and founding guitarist/bassist/drum-programmer Wampyrion, and thus fortified does FUNERAL STORM's second full-length follow. Likewise appropriately titled, Chthonic Invocations further explores the steadfast theme of the Cthulhu mythos. More specifically, FUNERAL STORM's second album in general focuses on death, in every form, for Arcania and Wampyrion were totally isolated during the lockdown and Necroabyssious was heavily infected with Covid-19 to a point where the band didn't know what would happen. However, after he was healed, Necroabyssious delivered an exceptionally aggressive performance, suiting to his bandmates' more surging yet more mystical music. Truly, Chthonic Invocations sounds like FUNERAL STORM 666%, and harkens even further into the ancient past: to say that the album could've been released in 1993 on Unisound is an understatement to end all understatements. But again, just like its full-length predecessor, Chthonic Invocations easily avoids lazy "throwback" status on both the strength of its songwriting and its era-authentic synths, handled by both Arcania and Wampyrion. - Featuring another awe-inspiring cover courtesy of Markus Vesper (DENIAL OF GOD, Manilla Road, Attic), with Chthonic Invocations do FUNERAL STORM once again triumphantly revive atmospheric tartaric black metal in the vein of the old Hellenic scene. The old ones have been summoned!