Search - Dark Funeral :: Attera Totus Sanctus

The sweet caress of a blastbeat

Aleksandar Habus | Melbourne, Australia | 11/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"the latest record from the glorius Dark Funeral, the name of which is spelt AtterA Totus Sanctus, is amazing. it is faster and eviler than anything they've done and to those who have heard Diabolis Interium that should mean a lot. Matte Modin blasts at such a speed that the end effect is that of a constant, uninterrupted sound. also it is the best sounding record they've put out. i often had difficultes picking out the snare in the mix on their previous recordings, but Daniel Bergstrand and Örjan Örnkloo have attended to this matter and on A.T.S. every single semiquaver in a blast is perfectly audiable.

the lyrics are the usual satanic fare and a friend and i have often joked that if an interviewer were to ask Emperor Magus Caligula what he sings about, the answer would be simply: "satan. next question?"

so the stars (inverted pentagrams) are awarded as follows:

* amazing blastbeats by Matte Modin

* intense vocals by Emperor Magus Caligula

* appropriate absence of major chords by Lord Ahriman and Chaq Mol

* sacrilege

* crisp, yet brutal production by Bergstrand and Örnkloo

that makes 5

....the cover's a litle gay..."

Solid black metal

A. Stutheit | Denver, CO USA | 03/29/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Attera Totus Sanctus" is as brutal as it is relentless. The guitars are scorching (you rarely hear any actual notes or riffs, you just hear a wall of searing guitar noise), the production is crisp, and the drums and rhythms pound like a jackhammer. In fact, this would probably be labeled a death metal album if it weren't for Emperor Magus' opaque vocals. "Attera Totus Sanctus" doesn't sound at all cold or barren-like some black metal albums-but not a single ray of light shines through any of these songs, because the vocals, which are shrill, unintelligible, and very high pitched, make one's skin crawl. There are some melodic guitar lines here and there (like in the title track, "King Antichrist," and "Godhate"), but they're few and far between and very hard to find. Songs such as "666 Voices Inside" and "Final Ritual" are driven and highlighted by the drummer's insanely fast and heavy blast beats, whereas songs like "Godhate" are explosive salvos of white hot riffs and quick, thunderous double bass drumming. The last two tracks worth mentioning are "Angel Flesh Impaled" and "Feed on the Mortals." The former track is backed by a surging guitar attack, a tempo change, and more fast drumming; and the latter song has creepy, ominous spoken word vocals. So, this album is very heavy and uncompromising, but the well trained ear will find a few melodious moments. I prefer my black metal a little more atmospheric and with more standout tracks; but, even still, "Attera Totus Sanctus" is a very solid album, and an essential purchase for dark metal diehards."

Almost perfect

adam wood | 04/09/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"as far as i am concerned, Dark Funeral is the best at what they do: making evil, harsh Black Metal. the problem with this album is that it sounds like they didn't bother to mix it at all. the songs are all great, but the rhythm guitar parts are muddy, the lead parts are too quiet, the drums are not clear at all & the bass it nowhere to be found (but that's not unusual for bass in Black Metal). if you are new to Dark Funeral, start with Diabolis Interium, unless you want something more "necro"."