Funeral

Funeral stand out for their bleak perspective and lyrics steeped in darkness, melancholy, and morbidity, earning them strong ties to Europe’s doom-metal tradition as well as notable connections to gothic metal. The Norwegian group’s take on the style steers clear of the Black Sabbath fixation that marks both pioneer Candlemass and underground provocateurs Grief, favoring instead a distinctly gothic sensibility. Among European acts, the band most frequently draws parallels with Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Anathema, while Theatre of Tragedy and Lacuna Coil have likewise been cited; they should not be mistaken for the unrelated early-’80s ensemble that shared their name.

The group’s founding lineup came together in 1991 with drummer/guitarist Anders Eek and guitarist Thomas Angell. Bassist Einar Frederiksen, previously of the thrash band Anti-Chord, came aboard in 1993, the same year the trio tracked its debut demo, Tristesse, featuring Eek on drums, vocals, and guitar, Angell on guitar, and Frederiksen—born 1973, died 2003—on bass and vocals. Later in 1993 guitarist Christian Loos joined, and in 1994 the band enlisted Toril Snyen as lead singer. Snyen appeared on the subsequent demo Beyond All Sunsets as well as the debut album Tragedies, issued by the small Norwegian imprint Arctic Serenades. After Snyen’s departure, Funeral endured extensive personnel shifts from the mid-’90s into the early 2000s. Sara Eick took the lead-vocal role in 1997 yet left within months; she was succeeded in 1998 by Hanne Hukkelberg, born 1979 in Oslo, Norway, who later pursued a solo career. In the early 2000s Angell exited and was replaced by Idar Burheim, who subsequently departed for the Norwegian black-metal outfit 1349 under the name Archaon.

Tragic events in the early 2000s echoed the sorrowful tone of the band’s material. Ten years after joining, longtime bassist Frederiksen died by suicide in 2003. Funeral then remained dormant for roughly eighteen months, prompting some supporters to worry the group might disband. In 2004 the members chose to continue, assembling a new lineup with Eek on drums, Loos on guitar, Frode Forsmo—also active with Minas Tirith—on lead vocals, Jon Borgerud on keyboards, and Kjetil Ottersen, previously Funeral’s keyboardist, now on guitar. Another loss struck in 2006 when Loos was discovered deceased at his residence. Undeterred, the band recorded From These Wounds with Eek, Forsmo, Ottersen, and guitarist Mats Lerberg; Candlelight issued the album in the United States in March 2007.