In the Sign

When parents claim that their teens' music "all sounds alike," you have to take that assertion with a grain of salt -- after all, people who were parents in the 1930s said the same thing when their teens brought home Benny Goodman's 78s. But in the case of Dark Funeral, parents aren't off base; many of its tunes really do sound alike. While other releases by Swedish death metal/black metal bands have opted for variety, In the Sign is quite predictable. One tune is as fast, as thrashing, and as ferociously amelodic as the next, and the screeching vocals of bassist Emperor Magus Caligula are one-dimensional. But despite its obvious limitations, In the Sign is exhilarating and fairly inspired. This 2001 release is a reissue of Dark Funeral's self-titled debut EP of 1994, although Necropolis has provided new art work and added two bonus tracks. While "Shadows Over Transylvania," "Open the Gates," "In the Sign of the Horns," and "My Dark Desires" originally came out in 1994, the bonus tracks "Call From the Grave" and "Equimanthorn" were recorded in 1996. In death metal/black metal circles, The Secrets of the Black Arts is generally regarded as Dark Funeral's most essential release, although In the Sign will interest the Swedes' hardcore cult followers -- limitations and all. ~ Alex Henderson