There was a rapid progression from the primordial blackness pioneered by Venom to the vibrant extreme metal scene that took root in South American in general, and Brazil in particular, by the mid-1980s. One would think that a nation like Spain would prove the logical go-between for all of this to happen via a band like Funebre Devastation, had said band come into being in 1983 instead of 2013 under the former moniker of Neverendinghate of course. But what's really in a year anyway? The 2020s seem just as good a time as any for the Spanish to partake of the fine art of 80s extreme metal revivalism, and they've been doing so for a little over a decade now in this outfit's case, with this compact EP aptly named
Allegiance In Torment being their latest offering.
If one were to manufacture an early standard between Venom's
Welcome To Hell and Sarcofago's
I.N.R.I. for 80s blackened thrash revivalism, this EP would fall almost dead center between said iconic albums. One can't help but be drawn in by the rustic simplicity in how Javier Sixto's (aka Erun-Dagoth) almost black 'n' roll riffing style, which often channels a darker cousin sound of Fast Eddie Clarke when things slow to a moderately paced roar, flanked by Valen "Argus" Valle's somewhat jazzy rocking kit work and the glassy yet straightforward bass assault of Jose "Opposer" Mora. The only real outlier in this otherwise early 80s vintage approach is Sixto's raunchy vocal work, which is much closer to Wagner Antichrist and even occasionally channels a Chris Barnes' inspired guttural bark.
In some ways, the songwriting that manifests on these 4 medium length bangers has an anachronistic tendency to it. This is perhaps best observed on the speed-infused opening foray and title anthem "Allegiance In Torment", which throws in a few blast beat segments and post-1990 death metal vocalizations that come off as jarring in a song that otherwise feels like murkier and swifter take on a fast Venom banger. "Mortal Prophetic Silence" feels a tad more conventional, albeit by the terms of the quasi-crust era of Darkthrone about 15 years back. "Battle Of Awakening" definitely leans harder into the late 80s death metal aesthetic of
Leprosy, though still atmospherically closer to an early to mid 80s aesthetic. Meanwhile, the closing entry "Metal Ungods" opts for a muddy, almost sludgy presentation with Mora's bass battling the guitars for prominence.
The niche that Funebre Devastation has adopted proves about as unique as they come, painting the picture of an alternate world where black and death metal stylistic conventions of the 1990s are juxtaposed on an earlier production quality that make one wonder just how things would have developed had Scott Burns never became the standard in death metal production and older, lo-fi and rough mixes like that were the norm when both subgenre's took off. Arguably this album's greatest downside is that most death/thrash/black metal fans expect a modern production to go with a 2025 release, but that likely won't be much of an issue as this definitely feels far more geared towards nostalgia hounds looking to relive the 1980-1987 sound in a series of newer songs.
Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K04MsaIpCGQ
