A Beast To Praise

A Beast to Praise draws on Dark Funeral’s January 1994 sessions at Uni-Sound Studio in Finspång, Sweden, recorded and mixed with Dan Swanö. The original line-up featured guitarists Lord Ahriman and Blackmoon, vocalist-bassist Themgoroth and drummer Draugen, and the material formed the band’s self-titled debut EP. For Century Media’s 30th-anniversary edition, David Castillo remixed the tapes at Ghost Ward, with Thomas “Plec” Johansson remastering at The Panic Room. The restored mix places the sharply separated tremolo guitars, dry blast beats and cavernous vocal rasp in hard focus.

This is formative Swedish black metal, driven by rapid minor-key riffing, double-kick momentum and sudden tempo changes. “Open the Gates,” “Shadows Over Transylvania” and “My Dark Desires” return alongside the previously unreleased 1994 recording “A Beast to Praise.” Century Media issued the anniversary edition as a single LP under barcode 0196587685911 and on CD under barcode 0196587685829. It belongs with listeners seeking Dark Funeral’s earliest studio work in a modern remix that retains the original performances.