Wampyrion Markhor Necrowolf formed Funeral Storm in the early aughts. Throughout Funeral Storm’s turbulent early years, Wampyrion kept the (black) flame alive by plying his trade in a number of Greek and Crete-based black metal outfits, all of which have stayed, true to form, very underground. When Funeral Storm re-emerged in 2012 with the self-released Inverted God split EP, the time was right for the new (blood) moon to beam down upon metaldom its nefarious intent. So inspired by the sinister turn and the promise of more odious omens to come, Wampyrion fired up Funeral Storm’s infernal engine’s in earnest, releasing two more split EPs — Spiritual Flesh Around the Cycles of Inexistence 2013 and Funeral Rite 2017 — and a compilation titled, Primal Shadow World, on Peruvian indie Mercyful Hell Productions.
With a newly reconfigured lineup in scene lord Stefan Necroabyssious (vocals) and Arcania (guitar), Wampyrion wrote some of the best Greek black metal to come out of Hellada since Necromantia, Varathron, and Rotting Christ were in their respective halcyon days. That’s right, Funeral Storm’s debut album, Arcane Mysteries, is cut from the very same cloth as Greece’s heroes, right down to the guitar tone that was (and is) unmistakably of Greek variety. Spread evilly across 10 tracks — including a cover of Varathron’s “Flowers of My Youth” (from His Majesty at the Swamp) — Arcane Mysteries is the new vanguard of Greek black metal.
Says Wampyrion to Decibel: “It was a long delay for our first album. The time was not right… After the addition of Necroabyssious from Varathron and Arcania left Aherusia she decided to finally join our cult, the constellation of the Cetus blessed us with its darkest light and the purest form of energy… The Great Red Dragon arose!!!”
Find your darkest light in Funeral Storm’s Arcane Mysteries by streaming it in full before its official release date on May 31st. Draw down the moon, fiends and freaks!
