Dark Funeral
Encyclopedia
Dark Funeral is a black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....

 band from Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, founded by guitarists Blackmoon and Lord Ahriman
Lord Ahriman
Lord Ahriman is a Swedish musician and composer best known as the primary guitarist and songwriter of black metal band Dark Funeral. He is the only founding member remaining in the band, he is also rhythm guitarist in Wolfen Society...

 in 1993. They are one of the bands to have emerged in Sweden during the Second wave of black metal.

Their lyrical themes have traditionally pertained to Satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...

 and anti-Christianity. Certain past and present members including Blackmoon, Ahriman, Caligula and Chaq Mol have each declared an affinity for Satanism, with Ahriman and Caligula notably being practitioners of LaVeyan Satanism
LaVeyan Satanism
LaVeyan Satanism, often referred to simply as Satanism among most adherents, was founded in 1966 by Anton LaVey. Its teachings are based on individualism, self-control and "eye for an eye" morality. Drawing influences from the rituals and ceremonies of occultist Aleister Crowley and the...

. In their earlier years their lyrical themes usually revolved specifically around depictions of Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...

 and Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...

. After Emperor Magus Caligula joined the band their lyrics came to focus more on blasphemy and anti-Christian rhetoric, although there have been several exceptions to this.

The Secrets of the Black Arts

Dark Funeral was founded by guitarists Blackmoon (David Parland) and Lord Ahriman in 1993. Shortly afterwards drummer Draugen and bassist and vocalist Themgoroth joined the band. Their self-titled and self-financed album, Dark Funeral
Dark Funeral (album)
Dark Funeral is the debut EP by Swedish black metal band Dark Funeral. It was released in 1994.-Track listing:# "Open the Gates" – 4:34# "Shadows Over Transylvania" – 4:23# "My Dark Desires" – 3:53# "In the Sign of the Horns" – 3:44...

, was recorded in 1994 at Dan Swanö's Uni-Sound studio in January. It was released on May 4, the same day the band performed their first gig at Luse Lottes Pub in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 alongside bands such as fellow live debut band Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. Formed in 1992 by Infernus , the band is named after the dead plateau of evil and darkness in the land of Mordor from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The group is currently signed to Regain Records and have released...

 and Marduk
Marduk (band)
Marduk is a black metal band from Norrköping, Sweden. The band formed in 1990 and released their first record in 1991. Their name is derived from the Babylonian god Marduk, patron deity of Babylon.-Musical style:...

 (who performed their first show abroad). After the recording sessions, Draugen left the band and was replaced by Equimanthorn.

In 1995, the band signed up to No Fashion Records and started preparing songs for a full-length album. After an attempt to record The Secrets of the Black Arts
The Secrets of the Black Arts
The Secrets of the Black Arts is the debut album by Dark Funeral released on January 28, 1996 by No Fashion Records. It was re-released on July 31, 2007 with a bonus disc consisting of the album original recording....

at Uni-Sound studios (again with Dan Swanö
Dan Swanö
Dan-Erland Swanö is a Swedish musician who is currently the vocalist, guitarist, ex-bassist and ex-drummer for the band Nightingale as well as the Owner of Unisound but he achieved fame as the vocalist and songwriter of progressive death metal band Edge of Sanity.As a multi-instrumentalist he is...

), the band decided to relocate to Abyss Studio and re-record the entire album.
During the break between studio sessions, the band wrote the song When Angels Forever Die. With engineer Peter Tägtgren
Peter Tägtgren
Alf Peter Tägtgren is a Swedish musician and producer. He is the founder, main songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the death metal band Hypocrisy as well as the industrial metal band PAIN in which he is the only member....

 (Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy (band)
Hypocrisy is a melodic death metal band from Sweden. It was formed in 1990 in Ludvika, Sweden by Peter Tägtgren.Musically, the band started off with a traditional death metal sound on their first albums, and soon drifted to become a melodic death metal band. The lyrics in their early stages -...

) on board, the band finally got the production they were looking for. Shortly after, Dark Funeral played their first festival gig, Under The Black Sun I in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

. A few weeks prior to this gig Emperor Magus Caligula
Emperor Magus Caligula
Emperor Magus Caligula is an extreme metal musician best known as the former vocalist, bassist and lyricist of Swedish black metal band Dark Funeral, performing for the band between 1995 and 2010. He has also been the vocalist of death metal bands Demonoid, replacing Christofer Johnsson, and...

 (Magnus 'Masse' Broberg, the original vocalist of Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy (band)
Hypocrisy is a melodic death metal band from Sweden. It was formed in 1990 in Ludvika, Sweden by Peter Tägtgren.Musically, the band started off with a traditional death metal sound on their first albums, and soon drifted to become a melodic death metal band. The lyrics in their early stages -...

) replaced Themgoroth and eventually became a permanent member. The band also shot their first video for the track "The Secrets Of The Black Arts", which was well received and played on music channels all over the world. On January 28, 1996, the band's first full-length album, The Secrets Of The Black Arts, was released and the album was soon licensed to Metal Blade (North America) and Mystic Production (Poland). Equimanthorn was soon replaced by Alzazmon (Tomas Asklund, later renowned for his work with Dissection
Dissection
Dissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....

 and Gorgoroth). The line-up of Emperor Magus Caligula, Lord Ahriman, Alzazmon and Blackmoon recorded their versions of Bathory's
Bathory (band)
Bathory was a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by Quorthon in 1983. They are regarded as pioneers of both black metal and viking metal. Quorthon remained the main songwriter and member of Bathory for more than two decades. Bathory was permanently ended after Quorthon's death in 2004...

 Call From The Grave and Equimanthorn for the Bathory tribute, In Conspiracy With Satan.(These also appeared later re-mastered for the re-titled re-release of the band's debut In The Sign…).
Blackmoon eventually left and founded War
War (Swedish band)
War was a Swedish black metal supergroup, formed by Tony "IT" Särkkä of Abruptum, David "Blackmoon" Parland of Dark Funeral and Peter Tägtgren of Hypocrisy....

 a year later. Together with Necromass, the band embarked on the Satanic War Tour I throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

.

Vobiscum Satanas

The second leg of the Satanic War Tour followed with Ancient
Ancient (band)
Ancient is a Norwegian black metal band from Eidsvåg, Nesset, formed in 1992. The band has released six full-length albums released by Metal Blade Records and a variety of mini-albums, EPs and special releases. Ancient used to have the classic raw black metal sound, similar to Darkthrone's works...

 and Bal Sagoth as support. Dark Funeral played their first show in America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...

 at the Expo Of The Extreme festival in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

. From there, the band embarked on The American Satanic Crusade Tour with Usurper in support. Originally, the tour was supposed to also feature Acheron
Acheron (band)
Acheron are an American black/death band, originally based in Florida.-History:Founded in 1988 by vocalist/bassist/songwriter Vincent Crowley , Acheron's musical output is almost exclusively Satanic and anti-Christian in content. Early albums featured interludes by Peter H. Gilmore...

 and Deströyer 666
Destroyer 666
Deströyer 666 is a black/death/thrash metal band formed in 1994 by guitarist K.K. Warslut. The group originated in Melbourne, Australia however moved to Europe.- History :...

, but both bands cancelled. In September, the band returned to the Abyss studio to record Vobiscum Satanas.

The Ineffable Kings Of Darkness Tour with Enthroned
Enthroned
Enthroned is a black metal band formed in Charleroi in 1993 by Cernunnos. He soon recruited guitarist Tsebaoth and a vocalist from grindcore/black metal band Hecate who stayed until the end of December 1993. Then bassist/vocalist Sabathan joined. The band released a 5-track demo tape in mid-1994...

 and Liar Of Golgotha took place with Dominion joining the band as a session bass player. The band also made their second major festival appearance at the Swedish Hultsfreds festival. After the festival, Typhos was fired and Dominion, who originally was a guitarist, was taken on as the band's second guitarist, and Caligula reverted to doing both vocals and bass.

Before the band headed out on the Bleed For Satan tour with Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...

 and Infernäl Mäjesty
Infernäl Mäjesty
Infernäl Mäjesty is a Canadian thrash metal band, formed in Toronto in 1986. They are best known for their debut album None Shall Defy, released in 1987. However, the 1998 re-issue by Displeased Records inspired the band to get back together and recorded a new album, followed by a European tour...

, Alzazmon left, and the band's longtime friend Gaahnfaust, who was also in the band back in 1996 for a short time, was recruited. The band returned overseas for another mini-tour Black Plague Across The West, when they played in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 for the first time before they headed to the US and the state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Afterwards, they also embarked on their longest and most successful European tour, The Satanic Inquisition, together with Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian black metal band from Oslo, Norway, formed in 1993. Dimmu borgir means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The name is derived from a volcanic formation in Iceland, Dimmuborgir...

.

With engineer Tommy Tägtgren, the band recorded the EP Teach Children to Worship Satan at the Abyss studio B (featuring the new song An Apprentice Of Satan and cover-versions from Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...

, Mayhem
Mayhem (band)
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...

, Sodom
Sodom (band)
Sodom is a German Thrash metal trio from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981.Along with the bands Kreator and Destruction, Sodom is considered one of the "big three" of Teutonic thrash metal...

 and King Diamond
King Diamond
Kim Bendix Petersen , better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Grammy Award nominated Danish heavy metal musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his extensive vocal range, in particular his usage of falsetto. He is the lead vocalist for both Mercyful Fate and the eponymous King Diamond...

). For the EP, the band also filmed a live video for An Apprentice Of Satan. They joined Deicide
Deicide (band)
Deicide is an American death metal band formed in 1987. Their first two albums, Deicide and Legion, are ranked second and third place in best-selling death metal albums of the SoundScan era.-As Amon/Carnage :...

, Immortal
Immortal (band)
Immortal is a black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1990 by current frontman/guitarist Abbath Doom Occulta and former guitarist Demonaz Doom Occulta...

, and Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...

 for the No Mercy Festival
No Mercy Festival
The No Mercy Festival is an annual heavy metal music festival/tour in Europe. It is organized by the Metallysee booking agency. The 2007 edition will take place from March 31 to April 15, 2007, and it will visit eight countries.-2007 lineup:...

s. After the departure of Gaahnfaust, Matte Modin (Defleshed) joined the band as a permanent member and made his debut at the With Full Force
With Full Force
With Full Force is a metal, hardcore and punk festival held annually in Germany since 1994. The 2011 edition took place on July 1 and July 3 at the Roitzschjora airport in Löbnitz near Leipzig in the Saxon county of Delitzsch.-2010:...

 festival.

Diabolis Interium

In January/February the band again entered Abyss Studio, enlisting the help of producer Peter Tägtgren and studio technician Lars Szöke, to record their third full-length album, Diabolis Interium
Diabolis Interium
Diabolis Interium is the third full-length album by Swedish black metal band Dark Funeral, released in 2001. It was recorded and mixed between January 21 and March 2, 2001 at the Abyss Studio and was the last album to be released via No Fashion Records...

. Due to the overwhelming positive response to the new album from both the public and the press, the band were able to secure deals that brought their music across to a much wider audience, with licenses in Japan (Soundholic Co. Ltd), Brazil (Hellion Records), Poland (Mystic Productions), Romania (Rocris Disc), Bulgaria (Rocris Disc), Thailand (S.Stack Co. Ltd), Russia (Irond Records Ltd), Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China (Magnus Music). With the exceptional response to the album in Brazil, which was released through Hellion Records, another local label, Somber Records licensed the band's entire back catalogue. As soon as Diabolis Interium was released, Dark Funeral once again went on tour. First they toured Europe, supported by Tidfall (NO), Anorexia Nervosa (FR) and Ragnarok (NO). On this tour, the band brought in Mikael Hedlund (Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy (band)
Hypocrisy is a melodic death metal band from Sweden. It was formed in 1990 in Ludvika, Sweden by Peter Tägtgren.Musically, the band started off with a traditional death metal sound on their first albums, and soon drifted to become a melodic death metal band. The lyrics in their early stages -...

) to play the bass. After this tour, Mikael resumed duties with his main band. They recruited Richard Cabeza for the session bassist slot. The band also toured the US, supporting their longtime friends Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...

. With Diabolis Interium, the Swedish radio station ROCKET 95.3 FM nominated Dark Funeral in the category “Best Swedish Hardrock Band”. Other bands nominated at the same time and in the same category were Breach
Breach (band)
-History:Swedish band formed in Luleå 1993. First full length album released in 1995. Pelle Gunnerfeldt from Fireside recorded and mixed several of the groups albums. Shortly after the release of Kollapse the band announced that they had decided to split up. The band played a reunion show in...

, Entombed
Entombed (band)
Entombed is a Swedish death metal band which formed in 1987 under the name of Nihilist. Though Entombed began their career as an early pioneer of Scandinavian death metal which initially differed itself from its American counterpart with its distinct guitar tone, by the early 1990s their sound had...

, and Arise.

In October 2002, the band embarked on their first tour in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

, which included shows in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

, and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

. The band was the first western extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...

 band to play Taiwan and Singapore. On November 29, 2002, the band and MNW/No Fashion Records announced that they were no longer contractually-bound to Necropolis Records
Necropolis Records
Necropolis Records was a record label founded in 1993, mainly providing an American home for extreme black metal to start. The label's roster included artists such as Archgoat, The Black, Incantation, Satanic Slaughter, Witchery, Rotten Sound, Babylon Whores, Dissection, Dawn,, Vondur, Impaled and...

, who had licensed the band's 2001 release Diabolis Interium for North America. Official Termination of contract papers had already been delivered to Necropolis Records, putting an official end of Dark Funeral's tenure with said record label. This was a result of Necropolis' alleged breach of contract with the band and label.

After the Asian tour, guitarist Dominion felt it was in the best interests of both the band and himself to resign his position, due to commitment to studies. Dominion officially resigned upon the band's completion of their Asian tour. He would later explore other musical options.
After this the band begin auditioning guitarists to replace the departed Dominion. A new guitarist was found in the form of Chaq Mol, who had a long history in different local metal acts. He is also in the two-man doom
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...

/black metal project Mordichrist. He made his official debut with the band at Wacken Open Air 2003.

De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine

After a successful gig at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, the band headed down to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

 for a tour through Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

, and Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

. This tour became one of the most successful ever undertaken by the band. During the tour, the band recorded a couple of the shows with plans to release a live album. After sifting through the recorded material with their live sound engineer (Erik Lidbom, Hitfire Productions), De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine was born.

Dark Funeral officially announced their split from MNW/No Fashion Records, after the band did not receive royalties for their back-catalogue. A series of legal battles began, where Ahriman and Caligula sought the rights to Dark Funeral's back-catalogue. Shortly after, the band signed a license deal with Regain Records
Regain Records
Regain Records is a Swedish based independent record label. The label predominantly releases death metal and black metal albums. Regain Records was founded from what remained of the former label, Wrong Again Records, by Per Gyllenbäck in 1997...

 for their live album De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine, which was licensed to several other countries. On May 31, 2005 the album was released in the US through Candlelight
Candlelight Records
Candlelight Records is an independent record label based in Europe founded by former Extreme Noise Terror bassist Lee Barrett, though it has had a division in the United States since January 2001. Candlelight Records specialises in black metal and death metal, having bands such as Emperor,...

 USA.

In January 2004 the band partnered with Goatwhore
Goatwhore
Goatwhore is an American blackened death metal band, formed in 1997 in New Orleans, Louisiana.- Biography :Goatwhore was formed by singer/guitarist Sammy Duet following the breakup of his previous band, Acid Bath. Soilent Green singer L...

 (US) and Zyklon
Zyklon
Zyklon is the German word for Cyclone.It may also refer to:* Zyklon, a Norwegian industrial blackened death metal band.* Zyklon B, a pesticide ultimately used by Nazi Germany in gas chambers...

 (NO) in Japan on the Extreme The Dojo Volume 9. Shortly after, the band continued to tour with a spate of Mexican dates. The band made appearances at festivals including Spanish Piorno Rock (w/ Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...

, Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...

, Destruction
Destruction (band)
Destruction is a German thrash metal band. They are considered one of the "three kings" of the Teutonic thrash metal scene, the others being Kreator and Sodom...

, Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...

 among others), Finnish Tuska, and X-Mass Festival
X-Mass Festival
X-Mass Festival was a heavy metal festival/tour held annually in Europe from 1999 to 2005. It was organized by the Belgian booking agency Metallysee. The 2006 and 2007 editions have been cancelled, and the future of the festival is in doubt...

s. The band appeared as the headlining act at Germany's Party San, Swedish Nordic Rage, and LA's Gathering Of The Bestial Legions Festival. The band also played in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 together with Defleshed
Defleshed
Defleshed was a Swedish death/thrash metal band. The group was formed by Lars Lofven, formerly of Convulsion and Inanimate. They have released several albums on high-profile metal labels...

 for a short, but extremely successful burst of dates. In December 2004, Dark Funeral then resumed touring by first playing Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, and then hitting Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

 for the Black Winter Days Tour, together with Horned NecroCannibals and Icewind Blast.

Attera Totus Sanctus

On January 20, 2005, they signed a new record deal with Regain Records. The band concentrated on writing material for a new full-length album, yet still managed to perform at the Metal Mind Festival in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

, before finally joining the No Mercy Tour with Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under (band)
Six Feet Under is an American death metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed in 1993. The band was originally a side project by Cannibal Corpse vocalist Chris Barnes with guitarist Allen West of Obituary...

, Nile
Nile (band)
Nile is an American death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian/Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, and art, as well as stories by H. P. Lovecraft.- History :...

, and Dying Fetus
Dying Fetus
Dying Fetus is an American death metal band from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Formed in 1991, the group is known for their outspoken political views, and for being one of the few death metal bands who follow a political nature. Earlier lyrics showcased the common death metal trait of explicit violence...

, among others.

On May 23, the band entered Dug Out Studios together with producer Daniel Bergstrand and Örjan Örnkloo to begin work on their next full-length album. The band brought in Gustaf Hielm (ex Meshuggah
Meshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...

) to play the bass on the record. On August 18, Dark Funeral's next album, Attera Totus Sanctus
Attera Totus Sanctus
Attera Totus Sanctus is Dark Funeral's fourth full length studio album. It was released on October 24, 2005 in Europe through Regain Records, and on November 29, 2005 in the United States through Candlelight Records USA. The title was chosen to convey the band's vehement anti-Right-Hand Path stance...

, was completed. The album was well-received by the metal community. It entered the Swedish top 40 at number 35 and the Swedish Heavy Metal chart at number 3, an aberration for a black metal record. In November, Dark Funeral began working with Dragon Production, a division of A.S.S. Concert & Promotion GmbH. Dragon Production were entrusted with handling the band's tour bookings.

In Autumn 2006, Dark Funeral performed on a tour in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

. On October 8, 2006, at a concert in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...

, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

, Dark Funeral were forced to perform without their vocalist and bassist, Caligula, due to illness. Many angry fans started a riot, and vandalized the properties near the venue. Following the riot, all the band's instruments were confiscated by Peruvian police. After a week, the band announced they had to postpone their upcoming concerts in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...

 and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

 because of this unfortunate situation.

In early 2007, Dark Funeral toured North America with Enslaved
Enslaved (band)
Enslaved is a progressive black metal band formed in June 1991 in Sveio, Norway, and currently based out of Bergen, Norway.-History:Enslaved was formed in June 1991 by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson when they were 13 and 17 years old, respectively. The band name was inspired by an Immortal demo...

. In April 2007, the band had planned an Eastern European tour to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

, and Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...

. It was around this time that Matte Modin had allegedly concocted false stories in order to avoid playing with the band. He first alleged that he had an infection in his arm, and could not participate on the Eastern European tour. However, it emerged that he had chosen to tour with the punk band Raised Fist
Raised Fist
Raised Fist is a Swedish hardcore band formed in 1993.-History:The name "Raised Fist" came as an idea from the Rage Against the Machine song "Know Your Enemy", where part of the lyrics are as follows: "Born with an insight and a raised fist..." The band has become more successful over the years,...

 instead. After returning from the Metalferry show in Sweden in between, Matte announced to the rest of the band that he couldn't go to the Baltic states, as it was his son's birthday. Dark Funeral soon realised Matte Modin's motives. Consequently, the upcoming tour was cancelled, and Matte Modin was ejected from the band. In June 2007, the band announced Nils Fjellström, alias Dominator (also in Aeon
Aeon (band)
Aeon is a death metal band that formed in Östersund, Sweden in 1999. The band comprises vocalist Tommy Dahlström, guitarists Sebastian Nilsson and Daniel Dlimi, bassist Marcus Edvardsson and drummer Arttu Malkki. The band released its debut album, Bleeding the False, in 2005; and the second album...

 and Sanctification, among others) as their new drummer.

The band toured North America again in Autumn 2007, and re-issued their first three albums, each with a bonus disc of material; The Secrets Of The Black Arts, Vobiscum Satanas and Diabolis Interium. In the autumn seasons of 2007 and 2008, the band released Attera Orbis Terrarum - Part I and Attera Orbis Terrarum - Part II respectively.

On 24 October 2008, it was announced that the Supreme Court of Sweden
Supreme Court of Sweden
The Supreme Court of Sweden is the supreme court and the third and final instance in all civil and criminal cases in Sweden. Before a case can be decided by the Supreme Court, leave to appeal must be obtained, and with few exceptions, leave to appeal can be granted only when the case is of...

 had ruled in favour of Dark Funeral in the dispute with MNW/No Fashion Records.

Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus

After several shows promoting the album, Dark Funeral launches the fifth studio album in 2009, Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus. They also shot a Controversial Music Video for 'My Funeral' which featured gore.

The latter half of 2010 would see the band consisting of only Ahriman and Chaq Mol on guitars following the departures of Emperor Magus Caligula in July 2010 as well as those of B-Force and Dominator in the coming months. Caligula's was arguably the most significant after having had been in Dark Funeral for fifteen years as vocalist and lyricist, having had joined only two years after the inception of the band seventeen years prior in 1993 and of all the members of Dark Funeral had spent the longest in the band asides from Ahriman himself. It was announced Caligula was to be married and that he sought to settle down in his new life. B-Force already communicated that was his own decision to leave the band. Ahriman used this time to work on new material, in the absence of a full line-up for live performances and studio recording.

On June 30, 2011, Dark Funeral announced that Nachtgarm of Negator was to be the new vocalist. A week prior it had also been announced that Dominator returned to the band. On July 27, 2011, Zornheym was revealed to be the band's new bassist, completing the lineup.

Members

  • Lord Ahriman
    Lord Ahriman
    Lord Ahriman is a Swedish musician and composer best known as the primary guitarist and songwriter of black metal band Dark Funeral. He is the only founding member remaining in the band, he is also rhythm guitarist in Wolfen Society...

     (Micke Svanberg) – guitar
    Electric guitar
    An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...

     (1993–present)
  • Chaq Mol (Bo Karlsson) – guitar (2003–present)
  • Dominator (Nils Fjellström) – drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

     (2007–2010, 2011–present)
  • Zornheym (Tomas Nilsson) – bass
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

     (2011–present)
  • Nachtgarm (Steve Marbs) – vocals (2011–present)

Former members

Vocals
  • Themgoroth (Paul Mäkitalo) – 1993–1996
  • Emperor Magus Caligula
    Emperor Magus Caligula
    Emperor Magus Caligula is an extreme metal musician best known as the former vocalist, bassist and lyricist of Swedish black metal band Dark Funeral, performing for the band between 1995 and 2010. He has also been the vocalist of death metal bands Demonoid, replacing Christofer Johnsson, and...

     (Magnus "Masse" Broberg) – 1996–2010


Guitar
  • Blackmoon
    David Parland
    David Parland is a Swedish metal guitarist, best known for his work in the bands Dark Funeral, Necrophobic and Infernal, in all of which he was one of the founding members.-Biography:...

     (David Parland) – 1993–1996
  • Typhos (Henrik Ekeroth) – 1996–1998
  • Dominion (Matti Mäkelä) – 1998–2002


Bass
  • Themgoroth (Paul Mäkitalo) – 1993–1996
  • Emperor Magus Caligula
    Emperor Magus Caligula
    Emperor Magus Caligula is an extreme metal musician best known as the former vocalist, bassist and lyricist of Swedish black metal band Dark Funeral, performing for the band between 1995 and 2010. He has also been the vocalist of death metal bands Demonoid, replacing Christofer Johnsson, and...

     (Magnus "Masse" Broberg) – 1996–2001
  • Mikael Hedlund – 2001 (session)
  • Lord K Philipson – 2001–2002 (session)
  • Richard "Daemon" Cabeza – 2002–2005 (session)
  • B-Force
    B-Force
    B-Force is a Swedish musician best known as the former bassist of black metal band Dark Funeral. Originally recruited as a session bassist in 2005, he became the full time bassist of Dark Funeral in 2008.B-Force quit Dark Funeral in 2010.-DVD's:...

     (Bennie Fors) – 2005–2010


Drums
  • Draugen (Joel Andersson) – 1993–1994
  • Equimanthorn (Peter Eklund) – 1994–1996
  • Alzazmon (Tomas Asklund) – 1996–1998
  • Gaahnfaust (Robert Lundin) – 1998–2000
  • Matte Modin – 2000–2007

Studio albums

  • The Secrets of the Black Arts
    The Secrets of the Black Arts
    The Secrets of the Black Arts is the debut album by Dark Funeral released on January 28, 1996 by No Fashion Records. It was re-released on July 31, 2007 with a bonus disc consisting of the album original recording....

    (1996)
  • Vobiscum Satanas
    Vobiscum Satanas
    Vobiscum Satanas is Dark Funeral's second full-length album. This was the first album to feature longtime vocalist and lyricist Emperor Magus Caligula, and the only one to feature drummer Alzazmon , who would later be known for his work in Dissection and Gorgoroth.- Track listing :#Ravenna Strigoi...

    (1998)
  • Diabolis Interium
    Diabolis Interium
    Diabolis Interium is the third full-length album by Swedish black metal band Dark Funeral, released in 2001. It was recorded and mixed between January 21 and March 2, 2001 at the Abyss Studio and was the last album to be released via No Fashion Records...

    (2001)
  • Attera Totus Sanctus
    Attera Totus Sanctus
    Attera Totus Sanctus is Dark Funeral's fourth full length studio album. It was released on October 24, 2005 in Europe through Regain Records, and on November 29, 2005 in the United States through Candlelight Records USA. The title was chosen to convey the band's vehement anti-Right-Hand Path stance...

    (2005)
  • Angelus Exuro pro Eternus
    Angelus Exuro pro Eternus
    Angelus Exuro pro Eternus is the fifth studio album by Swedish black metal band Dark Funeral. The album was officially released on November 18, 2009 via Regain Records...

    (2009)

Extended plays

  • Dark Funeral (1994)
  • Teach Children to Worship Satan
    Teach Children to Worship Satan
    Teach Children to Worship Satan is a cover album by Dark Funeral.Tracks two through five were recorded for various tribute albums. "An Apprentice of Satan" was recorded as a preview for their next studio album, then rerecorded for Diabolis Interium....

    (2000)
  • In the Sign… (2000)

Video albums

  • Attera Orbis Terrarum - Part I (2007)
  • Attera Orbis Terrarum - Part II (2008)

External links

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