Funebre
Children of the Scorn

Continuing to talk about Finnish death metal, it's natural to dedicate a review to one of the first bands belonging to the scene, and probably the very first to achieve the much-coveted milestone of releasing an album, namely Funebre.

Formed in 1988 in the city of Turku, after the usual beginnings with demos and an EP ("Brainspoon"), they recorded their only album "Children of the Scorn" three years later with a five-member lineup (Jari Heinonen on vocals, Sami Uusitalo and Esa Vähäsöyrinki on guitars, Erkki Hellen on bass, and Toni Uusitalo on drums) and with Timo Tolkki from Stratovarius as producer (who would have ever thought that the boss of such a power band would have anything to do with death metal), kicking off a new season for extreme music in Finland.

Listening to the album, one immediately realizes that the band's style is heavily influenced by the nearby Swedish scene, so much so that it doesn't seem like the band is Finnish since the typical hypnotic melodies that are the hallmark of Finnish death only appear in the third track "Blood on White" and the rhythms are always quite sustained without the classic doom influences. However, we are not dealing with sterile clones of Entombed or Dismember; the album is well-played, and the songs all have great momentum. Among the best episodes are the opener "Waiting for Arrival," "Walls That Held Screams," the aforementioned "Blood on White," and the concluding "Grip of Insanity," demonstrating the fact that those playing death metal in those years were truly inspired in creating something new, extreme, and never heard before. One look at the cover is enough to understand the genre of the group and the period in which the album was released, and enthusiasts can only long for the early nineties. A final note goes to the production, which is very good and clean (bravo Ciccio Tolkki!) and creates a more sterile atmosphere compared to that of fellow countrymen like Abhorrence and Convulse, where decay and sonic filth reign supreme.

After this good effort, however, the story of Funebre ends, making them in their own way a cult group, leaving the doubt and curiosity about what they could have done on a potential second album. At the moment, moreover, they haven't even been tempted by a reunion like many former colleagues have been.