Under a Funeral Moon
Darkthrone · 1993
40 min · 8 tracks · black metal
Raw, haunting melodies and relentless drums embody the essence of black metal's dark and atmospheric undercurrents.
Top tracks — play these first
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Natassja in Eternal Sleep — This opening track sets a chilling tone with its eerie riffs and relentless tempo, showcasing Darkthrone's signature blend of melody and aggression.
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Unholy Black Metal — The title itself serves as a manifesto for the genre, combining raw production with ferocious energy that establishes the album's unyielding spirit.
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Under a Funeral Moon — The title track encapsulates the album's themes of despair and darkness, featuring haunting melodies that linger long after it ends.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album's raw sound and structure solidified its influence on black metal while maintaining a cohesive flow throughout.
What we noticed
- The album features a consistent use of tremolo-picked guitar riffs layered over blast beat drumming, creating a relentless and aggressive sound.
- Vocals are delivered in a harsh, raspy style that complements the raw production quality, often buried in the mix.
- Each track typically maintains a mid to fast tempo, with several songs incorporating atmospheric interludes that contrast the intensity.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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6/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Defined its genre or moment. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady, consistent energy levels
- long, immersive listening sessions
- haunting atmospheric introspection
- gradual builds and payoffs
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Breakthrough — Solidified Darkthrone's shift to black metal, gaining wider recognition in the genre.
- Career context
- Released in early 1993, Under a Funeral Moon marked Darkthrone's transition from death metal to their definitive black metal sound after 1992's A Blaze in the Northern Sky. This album solidified their status as key figures in the Norwegian black metal scene during a time when the genre was gaining international attention.
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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Summer of the Diabolical Holocaust
The song shifts from atmospheric build-up to an intense, chaotic climax where imagery of destruction and decay predominates.
This moment effectively captures the album’s embrace of nihilism and chaos, reflecting the band's commitment to pushing boundaries within extreme music.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Natassja in Eternal Sleep 3:35
- 2 Summer of the Diabolical Holocaust 5:20
- 3 The Dance of Eternal Shadows 3:45
- 4 Unholy Black Metal 3:32
- 5 To Walk the Infernal Fields 7:52
- 6 Under a Funeral Moon 5:08
- 7 Inn i de dype skogers favn 5:27
- 8 Crossing the Triangle of Flames 6:12
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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