Live at TerrorFest 2005

Here is a brief live performance by Canberra’s Funeral Howl, taken from the video tape of their set. I remember the cameraman being above the bassist Appolyon, so his instrument is nice and clear in this mix. That is not a bad thing, as his performance and that of the band is fairly seamless (although the drums are a little too distant, especially on the blasts). The usual limitations of concert bootlegs aside, the music is very well-formed. It is not particularly technical or innovative in terms of structure, but the riffs and formations of songs are very soulful, akin to sorrowful folk music and the way it strangely translates into Black Metal guitar fizz and blastbeats. It takes a few listens to get into this sort of music, which stylistically is rooted in Judas Iscariot and Graveland, but ever farther removed from 1980’s first wave Black Metal and its rock ‘n roll influences. For the time being here is the band’s first performance. Listen to the static hiss and crowd chatter as the singer announces the songs in a morbid screech, as the clear bass is plucked contemplatively in waiting for the count-off. Try to sit down and actually listen in on the music and you may find yourself elsewhere, far away from here.