apanthropy

Funebrarum
Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence
Pulverized Records
Released: May 29th, 2026

Rating: 9/10

“‘Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence,’ even with the extensive downtime leading up to its release, is something out of sync with the modern metal scene, and it’s refreshing. Those wanting true old-school brutality, lengthy cuts of crushing death with tinges of doom, and the shuddering cold shade of the shadow of a monumental band, this record is for you. You can’t go wrong.”

Established in 1999, Funebrarum appeared towards the end of the 90s extreme metal boom, where the music was solidified, codified, and vastly expanded from its position in the late 1980s. After a trio of demo tapes in 2000, the band struck with a hammer blow of a debut record in the form of 2001’s Beneath the Columns of Abandoned Gods. An EP and a split with Interment followed before the band returned for their sophomore effort, 2009’s The Sleep of Morbid Dreams. Two more splits would serve as precursors to the 2016 EP, Exhumation of the Ancient. A full decade of deathlike silence has passed, but the crypt door has been opened once again, returning with their third and newest full-length, Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence, released through Pulverized Records on May 29th, 2026.

One of the most important qualities Funebrarum possess as a music entity is their adherence to the old-school principles of death metal, something the band has done intently since their early days. There is no worry or concern about a change in sound, compositional approach, or general change of musical direction on Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence, Funebrarum return with the same ethos and mechanics it has always possessed, and because of that, they deliver an immense record that feels deeply old-school, constructed with pure ideas, and shaped into one of the strongest death metal displays of 2026.

There is a great deal of talent teeming in the ranks of the band, starting with Daryl Kahan on vocals and assorted duties, present since the founding of the band. Winslow, also of Mutant Supremacy, handles bass and backing vocals, powerhouse in-demand extreme metal drummer Charlie Koryn takes on percussion responsibilities with guitars being comprised of Sam Osbourne and Phil Tougas, a powerhouse duo that has served time in acts such as Hulder, Chthe’ilist, Worm, and VoidCeremony. Obviously, this is a meeting of heavyweights and skull crushers, and it certainly sounds that way.

Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence is a fairly lengthy record, clocking in at just under 50 minutes in length across ten new tracks. There are some intros, some interludes, and some expansive atmospheric work laced throughout the record, but when the band strikes, it becomes seismic. Kahan’s growls reach gut-rupturing lows in the vein of Demilich or Undergang. Riff structures are expansive, coming in waves of oppression, violence, and dominant power, reeking of old-school dirt and grit. The rhythm section operates as it should, complimentary to the riff crafting, but ever-forward in its movements, serving as the torchbearer of the music.

The intro, ‘The Arrival,’ builds up the atmosphere leading into the title track. All the guts are spilled at this point, entering the marrow of the first track reveals nothing but pure old-school audio torment; ripping death metal, drumming that takes a myriad of rhythms from blast beats to punk-like patterns, and guitars that are circular cataclysms of pure riff chaos. This sets the tone for the entire record, and the concept is never deviated from, it beckons to fans of 1st and 2nd wave American and Scandinavian death metal.

Expansive long-form tracks such as ‘Sa Nagba Amāru,’ allow the band to possess the listener through extended riff passages, droning death, and puked vocals. Many bands try their hand at this doomier and more dense form of death metal and have limited success, Funebrarum, it just feels purely natural. This isn’t a band that’s playing towards a particular sound, this is truly organic expression in sonic form.

The shortest non-interlude track on the record takes the form of ‘From Rotting Burial Shroads,’ a blissful skull fuck of punk-style drumming in the intro phrases, leading into frenetic violence and compact, tight playing that is off the traditional path of the band, but certainly welcome, as it is one of the more captivating tracks on the record and something that will certainly crush listeners in the live arena.

Closing down the record is the churning hell of ‘The Whispering Cathedral (Epilogue),’ a crawl of nearly nine minutes in length, the sensation of pulling oneself through barbed wire and broken glass, the prototypical sound that the band has strived to execute, in perfect light. Droning riffs feed extended atmospheric passages with dread and malice, guttural thunder permeates out of the low end, and an extended atmospheric closing phrase brings animation and the sense of the circle closing.

Production on Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence is pure bliss. There are enough presence and weight to the low end that it could drag a corpse to the bottom of the sea. Guitars thunder, ringing chords trumpet with apocalyptic hues, single-note tremolo churns with body and depth, and the combinations of melody and twisted harmony dance like witches to the flame. Percussion shows a lot of punch to the bass drums, crisp animation to the brass, and a nice pop to the snare.  

The point must be driven home, this is old-school power and punch in the year 2026, where so many paint death metal in different radical shades, Funebrarum is a muted bloodstain. There is no hypertechnical execution, no riffs-per-minute approaches, no flirtation with other genres, this is pure and methodical death, churning in hellish tempos on par with Incantation, Disma, and Grave. Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence, even with the extensive downtime leading up to its release, is something out of sync with the modern metal scene, and its refreshing. Those wanting true old-school brutality, lengthy cuts of crushing death with tinges of doom, and the shuddering cold shade of the shadow of a monumental band, this record is for you. You can’t go wrong.

Label: Pulverized Records
Band: Funebrarum