Review by Carl on January 6, 2024.

The album's title translates as "Cold Hatred", and that is exactly what you get on this album by one of Holland's oldest black metal bands. As if you didn't already suspect that by looking at the stark black and white cover art of this album.

The band has successfully transferred the sound of 90's black metal to this release. The temperature takes a severe drop when opener "When the Funeral Winds Cry for Revenge" kicks in, with its icy tremelo picked guitar riffing, seething velocity and ravenous rasping vocals. Comparisons with the early works of Krieg, Darkthrone, Immortal, Marduk and Enthroned are certainly valid, and Funeral Winds fits well with these bands. The tracks are for most part played at a fierce black metal tempo, but avoid monotony by letting go of the accelerator at times, providing the music with some welcome stomp, but also by incorporating subtle nuances into some of the tracks. Take "Soul Harvest", that gets a dose of thrash influence woven through it, and "Dawn of the Bestial Bloodshed" gets a wink to Hellhammer worked in. As a whole, the black metal on offer radiates aggression and malice, with an execution that is well above average, as evidenced by the bass guitar licks in "The Wicked Are the Wise", but also by the superb percussion throughout. And as every self respecting black horde would, Funeral Mist keeps window dressing such as keyboards and female vocals far out of the door.

The production is a good deal above average as well, not just for a black metal release, but in general. The instruments are all audible and balanced out, and the soundmix gives the percussion and the bass the place to shine, so to speak. It never deteriorates into a formless mush, and the album stays sharp and focussed on delivering a dose of varied and malicious black metal, that exudes dread and darkness throughout.

This is a mandatory release for all who still swear by the sounds that were brought forth by the Scandinavian hordes in the 90's. It sounds evil and abrasive, while delivering quality black metal that might not be the most original, but makes up for that with precision and atmosphere throughout.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10