Two years after the release of their second full-length album "Poetry of the Death Poison," the Chilean Black Metal duo FUNERAL FULLMOON has returned with another album titled "Unholy Kingdom of Diabolic Emperors." Released last month on June 1st, it is a few tracks longer than the band's previous album but surprisingly about the same length-nearly 28 minutes long.  "Unholy Kingdom of Diabolic Emperors" clearly is not very long.  However, no matter how long or short it is, the album is as dark and menacing as any piece of Black Metal nonetheless.

To begin with, it's worth noting that "Unholy Kingdom of Diabolic Emperors" is a Raw Black Metal album.  Raw Black Metal is a subgenre of Black Metal that emphasizes the use of lo-fi recording to embody the harshness of the extreme genre.  Therefore, the production quality sounds quite subpar, but that's all a part of the music.  In other words, if you're not a fan of unrefined production, then Raw Black Metal and FUNERAL FULLMOON's new album in particular are not for you.  If you can stand the lo-fi or are just a fan of the subgenre, then continue reading.

The first track of the album is simply titled "Intro." It's honestly nothing special; it only consists of piano playing from the vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Magister Nihilfer Vendetta 218.  Piano notes are not something often heard in Black Metal (with the exception of Symphonic Black Metal, for instance), but in this case, the piano sets a tone as dark as the genre itself.  However, it's the second track "Pact with the Insane Spirits" where we get into the extreme material.  Blast beats from drummer Sepulchral Augury are welcomed with open ears, and the lo-fi recording doesn't drown out Magister Nihilfer Vendetta 218's tremolo picking or his harsh, shrieking vocals.  Unfortunately though, while the vocalist is also credited as the bassist for this record, the muffled production makes the bass notes virtually non-existent.  After the third song "Misanthropic Obsession," we get to the very interesting "Interlude." It's a short break from the Raw Black Metal of the previous two tracks, but unlike "Intro," it sounds more like an organ is being played rather than a piano.  In my opinion, it also makes "Interlude" darker in tune than "Intro." We return to more Raw Black Metal with "Demonic Visions," which opens with a four-stroke hi-hat cue from Sepulchral Augury followed by a demonic (pun intended) laugh from the vocalist.  Four minutes later, FUNERAL FULLMOON brings their third album to a close with their "Outro": an approximate 3-minute-long organ sequence similar to "Interlude."

Raw Black Metal is an acquired taste for some and for good reason.  The album was obviously dark and haunting, as all Black Metal albums should be.  However, the lo-fi recording could've used some improvement, as to not drown out Magister Nihilfer Vendetta 218's bass or make his vocals sound unintelligible.  Besides this, as far as Raw Black Metal goes, "Unholy Kingdom of Diabolic Emperors" is another classic to add to the underground genre.  For you fans of FUNERAL FULLMOON who have been waiting for another record from the duo, the wait is finally over.  Your patience will be rewarded with this album.